Liverpool taking steps to help Minamino and Keita & Mane are the key

It's been a week to savour for Liverpool new-boy Takumi Minamino.

Fresh from becoming a Reds player at the turn of the year, the £7.25million signing was given a real taste of the Anfield atmosphere against Sheffield United before playing in it himself with his new team-mates in a famous Merseyside derby win over Everton.

Minamino officially became a Liverpool man when the January transfer window opened and early indications are that his pressing ability and quality in possession will be important assets for Jurgen Klopp in the final third.

Behind the Melwood curtain, the club have taken a number of small measures to ensure the club's first-ever Japanese international settles into his new life on Merseyside.

Inside the dressing room, the club have made the decision of placing his shirt in the middle of Naby Keita and Sadio Mane, despite the attacker wearing the No.18.

Roberto Firmino has been dislodged from his usual No.9 spot in between Keita and Mane in an effort to get Minamino more quickly acclimatised with the Reds.

The thinking is that Keita and Mane's connections with Minamino's former club, Red Bull Salzburg, will help ease the adaptation period for the £7.25million signing.

Minamino played alongside Keita briefly at the Red Bull Arena before the latter's move to RB Leipzig and it is understood the two Liverpool stars have been informally asked to help their new team-mate become comfortable in his new surroundings.

Mane has taken Keita under his wing somewhat since the midfielder's own move to Merseyside in the summer of 2018, and the same is being asked for Minamino.

The 24-year-old's English is still developing in the formative stages of his Premier League career, but his communication with Klopp has not been disrupted as a result.

It is understood Minamino has largely been conversing with his manager, among others, in Klopp's native German as his English lessons continue.

The former Cerezo Osaka front-man was thrown into the deep end on his first day at training at the beginning of the month when the squad marked the birthday of assistant manager Peter Krawietz.

As is customary at Melwood, a rendition of happy birthday was belted out, with Klopp's right-hand man celebrating his 48th on New Year's Eve.

The players sang to Krawietz first in German and then English before Minamino debuted the Japanese remix and Mohamed Salah gave it an Arabic twist. It continues a long-standing tradition that will repeated when he turns 25 himself later this month.

Minamino, who was sat behind the substitutes in the recent 2-0 win over Sheffield United for his first Anfield experience as a Liverpool player, has also been encouraged to launch an official Instagram account.

His maiden post was uploaded on to the social media site on January 3 before a clearly in-awe Minamino captured the Kop in full voice of You'll Never Walk Alone on his phone moments before kick off.

The attacking midfielder has since racked up close to 400,000 followers in less than five days as he gets to grips with the lofty profile that comes with being a Liverpool footballer.