Naby Keita has opened up about how he is adapting to life at Liverpool, revealing how Jurgen Klopp has been helping the process.
Keita has not had the smoothest of starts to life at Anfield, having made a £52.75million move from RB Leipzig during the summer.
The Guinean international has made just seven starts so far, with injury and competition for places restricting him from making more of an impact.
The midfielder has been out for over a month with a hamstring injury sustained during the last international break, but made a late appearance against Fulham on Sunday.
The 23-year-old admits the Liverpool manager has been on his case to help him improve and acclimatise to the German’s system quicker.
“I am really, really happy to play with my team-mates and I am learning from their experience,” said Keita.
“I’m training with them every day and I am trying to get them better, to learn from them.
“I watch them and of course the coach is always speaking to me, saying ‘you can do this better, you need to do this’.
“He makes me feel like I want to do better and I want to progress so I feel lucky and happy to train with him and the players here.”
The former Leipzig man also admits that he is struggling to understand English – and Scouse in particular – but is determined to learn the language to help communicate with his teammates.
“I am following English courses and I am really, really motivated to speak English,” he said. “It is really important to me.
“I want to be able to speak to the coach and I want to be able to speak to the other players in the team so I am really working hard.
“I hope that in six months I will be able to give interviews to you in English (instead of through a translator).
“I am finding the Liverpool accent a bit difficult to be honest, but I am trying my best. I don’t know much Scouse yet, but I have been told ‘boss’ means good.”
Keita was often pictured with striker Daniel Sturridge during pre-season, with the duo clearly striking up a bond and he has revealed how the Englishman is helping him settle.
“Everybody has been really good to me and my team-mates all come and speak to me,” he said.
“I understand bits of what they’re saying, but the one who has really, really been good with me is Daniel Sturridge.
“He comes to see me, he speaks to me and he gives me advice. He has got a lot of experience and he is really helping me.”
