The 20-year-old full-back currently has 28 senior Reds appearances to his name after making his debut during the 2019-20 campaign.
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Young Liverpool full-back Neco Williams has stated that practising alongside Liverpool’s star forwards in training has quickened his development as a player. The 20-year-old full-back currently has 28 senior Reds appearances to his name after making his debut during the 2019-20 campaign. Williams’ ability to repeatedly test his skills against Mohamed Salah and co at the AXA Training Centre has helped him in his development. “For me when I signed my contract, the main thing was I needed to improve as a player,” the Wales international told Liverpoolfc.com.
“And when I’m coming up against Mo Salah and Sadio Mane every day in training, it’s going to make me a better player. I feel like I’ve matured in my game, especially when you’ve got Salah and Mane running at you every day. It is hard but it’s going to make me a better player and I feel like it definitely has helped me.”
Williams also opened up about training ground matches between them and how facing the two forwards helps his career development. “Normally a day before a game we’ll do like an 11v11 with the starting team and the team who’s on the bench or the rest of the players. Obviously Salah and Mane are starting most games and to play against them near enough every day, it does feel great because it’s going to help me as a player. I’m learning off them and it gives me a little battle with them, so I’m enjoying it,” he explained.
Recent signing Ibrahima Konate is accepting the need to compete for playing time at Liverpool. The summer arrival from RB Leipzig has made four appearances at centre-back so far in the 2021-22 season. For now, Konate is facing stiff competition from Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, Nathaniel Phillips and Virgil van Dijk for a starting spot. Nonetheless, he is working hard to keep himself available as and when the manager calls him into the starting line-up.
“For sure it is not easy because every player wants to play, you know? But I know I am young and I need to work to play. I was in Germany and now I am in the Premier League in Liverpool, one of the best teams in the world,” said Konate in the latest edition of the official Liverpool FC magazine.
“It is not easy to come and play automatically at Liverpool. I know Jurgen, I know what he does and of course I need to work. I hope with time this [being selected] will be automatic. I will work for this. Everything is good. I love the challenge and, for sure, the Premier League is not the same as German football. The intensity is different and you have a lot of big players here. It is not easy, but we play football for that.”
He added: “Of course, who doesn’t have this ambition to win the Premier League? But for now I think we need to be focused game by game. We have Premier League, we have Champions League – we have lots of games, but with this team I think we can do a big thing this season. Winning both is not easy. But if we can, then why not?”
