Ibrahima Konate continues to grow in confidence both on and off the pitch at Liverpool this season
If there’s one player in the Liverpool squad who knows how quickly fortunes can change at the highest level, it’s Ibrahima Konate. And not even the eternally-optimistic defender could have anticipated his current situation mere months ago.
On the opening weekend of the Premier League season at Ipswich Town back in August, Konate found himself on the bench for Arne Slot’s first competitive game in charge, a position to which he was becoming increasingly accustomed.
Having fallen down the centre-back pecking order at Liverpool through niggling injury and the form of breakthrough star Jarell Quansah, Konate was also left twiddling his thumbs throughout Euro 2024 where he didn’t play a single minute as France faltered at the semi-final stage.
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It required just 45 minutes at Portman Road for Konate to wrest back his starting role having replaced Quansah at half-time. And while it has taken a little longer, a swift route to redemption on the international stage saw the 25-year-old, in the absence of compatriot and friend Kylian Mbappe, skipper his country for the first time in their 3-1 UEFA Nations League win in Italy on Sunday evening to reverse the scoreline from Paris in September and finish top of their group.
This was another happy visit to the San Siro for Konate, who had scored for Liverpool there against AC Milan in the 3-1 win in their Champions League opener in September.
The talk in France now is of Konate having a real chance of usurping Mbappe as the regular skipper for the national side, such was the strong impression he made wearing the captain’s armband that was caught on camera before the game.
“Guys, there’s a first-place finish up for grabs too,” he was capturing saying. “First place means that, in the next round, the second leg will be at home. That’s what’s important too, guys, but today it’s all about revenge. Revenge, revenge, revenge.”
Leadership has long been an important quality lin the Liverpool squad, with Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson, Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo all skippers of their respective national teams. And Van Dijk, Robertson and Salah are joined by vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alisson Becker in Liverpool’s squad leadership group.
Konate cannot be far off being next in line to join that select committee. For now, though, he has impressed with his performances on the field, with eight of Liverpool’s nine clean sheets this season having come with the Frenchman as starter.
Indeed, the Reds have only conceded seven goals in the 1,244 minutes he has been on the pitch so far this campaign, a rate of almost a goal every other game.
And, speaking earlier this month, Slot highlighted Konate’s willingness to take on board new ideas as setting him apart from other players.
“All the guys are quite positive in that but, in my opinion, he stands out in trying to learn the things that we are trying to hand over to them,” said the Liverpool boss. “That is one of the reasons why his performances are very stable.”
Konate’s growing confidence both on and off the pitch – to which anyone who has witnessed his contributions to behind-the-scenes club videos will attest – is a reflection of his improving performances. Liverpool have found themselves another leader in the making.
