Former Liverpool star Takumi Minamino gave an insight into the Reds dressing room soon after his arrival at Anfield, showing boss Jurgen Klopp had built a squad made of the right character.
The Japan international joined the Reds in 2020 in a £7.25million transfer from Red Bull Salzburg. He had enjoyed a successful stay in Austria, scoring 64 goals and winning six successive Bundesliga titles.
But he endured a difficult time at Anfield, with boss Klopp preferring to use other players. That did not stop him from enjoying the company of his team-mates though, with Minamino instead hailing them.
That was according to Jesse Marsch, who was the star's manager for his final years at Salzburg. And the American revealed that only six months after his arrival, Minamino had already declared himself a fan of his new team-mates.
"He is a little quiet and he is not the most outgoing guy but he is a top, top class individual. He is happy [at Liverpool ] - he has talked about training being good and the guys being good guys," Marsch told the Liverpool Echo's Blood Red podcast.
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"Taki will only turn up every day and do everything possible to try to improve We've texted and checked in on different things. I give him a hard time about learning better English because I had to learn so much German.
"And now it's his turn to come to my side a little more. But he knows nothing will be given to him but he is willing to work for whatever - that's his mentality."
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He also had a good relationship with boss Jurgen Klopp despite his struggles to settle at the RedsMinamino was sold to Monaco in the summer transfer window of 2022 after failing to make his mark on the first-team in the Premier League, although he did play a crucial role in their FA Cup and League Cup successes in 2022, with Klopp insisting that his move to Anfield had not been a failure.
"I’m sure there will be those who think it didn’t quite work out. Those who think this are wrong. I don’t accept that. An amazing professional; super, talented player. As a person, he is full of warmth and makes everyone feel positive. A manager’s dream, to be honest," he said.
"His contribution far outweighs the opportunities we were able to give, in terms of starting matches. He made us better each and every day he was with us - perfect attitude, winner’s mentality. His achievements here will stand the test of time."
Minamino has impressed for Monaco this season, scoring five goals and notching four assists. Despite the way his career stalled at Liverpool, the Japanese star still has high praise for his former manager at the Reds.
“Klopp always had a word for everyone, including those who weren’t playing. This, for me, makes him such a great coach and is why players listen to him. He managed to maintain everyone’s motivation, even the substitutes," he told L'Equipe in September.
“He really considered the work I did every day, even when I wasn’t playing, which is something very important for me. This is one of the major differences between him – and Adi Hutter – and the other managers I know."
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