Guinea Conakry midfielder Naby Keita has revealed he’s motivated and ready to emulate Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard at Anfield.
The playmaker completed his move to Liverpool on Sunday after two seasons with Leipzig and was given the number 8 jersey that was donned by former captain Steven Gerrard.
The 23-year-old will be the first player to put on the jersey number since Steven’s departure in 2015 and the fans are excited.
In an interview with the club’s website, the midfield kingpin revealed the Liverpool legend presented him with jersey number 8 on his arrival and that gave him extra motivation to do whatever it takes to emulate the former England international.
“When he presented me the jersey, it was a surprise and I didn’t expect it. When he came in, I looked at him and said wow, because he’s a legend. He’s someone everyone should respect, who gave his all on the pitch, somebody who is loved here.”
“If someone like that gives you his shirt number, it’s not to play around with, it’s to try and do as much as he did, that’s my motivation.”
He admitted he was motivated to make the move after several discussions with Jurgen Klopp and new teammate Sadio Mane who convinced him that Liverpool is the perfect fit for “his style of play”.
“I choose Liverpool because it’s a team that I watched often, and I also spoke to Sadio. He told me a lot about the team and the club. I also spoke with the Coach, who told me about the project for the team and that motivated me to be here.
“When you see how they performed last season, it makes me want to do the same and be part of this team. I would like to be able to achieve a similar kind of season with them, but even better.
His transfer was confirmed last August but the midfielder had to watch from a distance as Jurgen Klopp’s side reached the champions league final and manage a fourth place finish in the EPL.
Keita enjoyed a successful spell in Germany with Leipzig scoring 17 goals in 71 appearances and was part of the team that surprised the world by qualifying for the Champions League in their first year in the Germany top division.
He will hope to replicate that form in England and inspire Liverpool as they try to win the elusive Premier League title for the first time in over two decades. He will officially join the Reds on July 1st ahead of the start of the 2018/2019 pre-season training.
