Guinea’s national side coach Didier Six has heaped praise atop the shoulders of Naby Keita, comparing the midfielder’s leadership ability with that of former French star Zinedine Zidane.
The 26-year-old Liverpool man has only recently returned to the fold at Anfield after being ruled out with an ankle injury following the 7-0 rout of Crystal Palace in December.
“In my opinion, Keita has magical feet, and I decided to give him the captaincy because he’s a true leader. He’s never abrasive with his team-mates,” the 66-year-old told FIFA.com. “The way he talks to them is very similar to the way Zidane deals with his players, and he communicates the message in a wonderful way.”
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What role will Keita have to play for the season remainder?
As Keita has proven on numerous occasions prior to his latest injury struggles, he’s more than capable of making an impact in Liverpool’s midfield.
The return of Fabinho to the middle of the park does mean that the former RB Leipzig star is reliant on pushing out one of Thiago Alcantara or Gini Wijnaldum for a spot in the first-XI, though he’s a clearly fantastic option to have available to call upon from the bench.
In light of our injury crisis this term, we’d expect Jurgen Klopp to rotate his midfield slightly after the international break, though given the nature of our domestic campaign, the Guinea international may not get as many minutes as he might have earlier in the season.
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