Ibrahima Konate says he is inspired to win trophies for “incredible” team-mate Mo Salah in the hope the striker can win the Ballon d’Or for the first time.
“Everything he’s done since the start of the season, even since he’s been playing for Liverpool – it’s crazy what he’s done,” laughed the Frenchman when asked about Salah’s contribution to Liverpool’s title challenge.
He is effusive in his praise for the 32-year-old, and why not? According to conventional wisdom, Salah should be past his prime, looking towards the end of his days at the top of the game.
Instead, he is posting career-best numbers to lead Erling Haaland’s Golden Boot race, averaging a goal every 57 minutes.
Much of his contribution speaks for itself, but not his support for his teammates behind closed doors.
That’s what motivates Konate to return the favor, in line with his personal ambitions, and why he wants to help the striker overcome his best Ballon d’Or finish of fifth and lift the trophy on October next.
He says: “I really hope we can achieve great things this season because if he continues like this I think at the end of the season he can win the Ballon d’Or.
“He will never say that because I think his objective is just to win big things with Liverpool. He doesn’t really think of himself as, ‘okay, I want to score more goals, I want to have more assists’ – he just wants to win the game.
“He just wants to share his experience with the young players, the young players. And for me, it’s unbelievable to be a player like that at his age and be so professional.”
Konate is impressed by Salah but knew the heights the striker could reach before joining him at Anfield from RB Leipzig in 2021. He was not as informed about the quality of fellow defender Virgil van Dijk before his arrival.
After three years of a blossoming relationship and his maturing into the Dutchman’s first-choice partner, he reckons the pair can rival not just Gabriel and William Saliba as the Premier League’s best centre-back duo, but anyone in world football .
“What a defender”, he smiles again. “When I was in Leipzig and I saw a few Liverpool games, I didn’t realize how good he was.
“And when I came here sometimes I thought, no, how is this possible? He’s very good. When I first came here, he gave me a lot of advice and helped me adjust.
“On the pitch now, as much as I need him, I think it’s the same for him as for me. We just work together and try to be the best partnership in the world.
“Some strikers look at Virgil and they’re just like ‘okay, now I have no chance against him’. They don’t give 100 per cent.”
That chemistry has been helped by the approach Arne Slott has taken at Anfield since taking over from Jurgen Klopp, with the poise the beloved manager has managed to be labeled the best in world football by his predecessor earlier this week.
Konate is not afraid to compare the two and believes the measure of control Slot has brought after nine years of ‘heavy metal’ football under the Klopp dynasty has improved the squad. The numbers suggest so; Liverpool have a stronger defense than in three of the last four seasons.
He says: “(Trent Alexander-Arnold) helps a lot when we attack, which leaves me with a lot of space to defend. But the way the manager has explained to us to defend all together has helped me a lot me and the team.
“If you can see and compare to last season or the season before, we were more exposed. But now when we lose the ball, everyone tries to help the team and I think we are more together.
“No one expected the coach to do what he has done since the start of the season. He has a great idea of ​​how to play, he knows what to do and it’s not about adapting to the other team. I think that makes a lot of difference for us compared to Jurgen”.
