Van Dijk lavishes praise on ‘incredible’ Konate after FA Cup semi-final win

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk believes that his young teammate Ibrahima Konate should be appreciated more. The young French defender moved to Anfield last summer from RB Leipzig and has established himself as a regular member of the squad.

Speaking to BBC Sport (via Rousing the Kop) after Liverpool’s 3-2 win over Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final, Van Dijk said:

“He’s made a great impact, working hard every day, good mentality, work rate – incredible. Obviously, he needs to perform when he’s called upon and I think he’s doing just that. He’s still so young and it’s incredible how good he already is. Everyone at Liverpool should appreciate what we’ve got and yeah, the future is bright.”

Thanks to performances like Konate’s, the Reds are within grasp of a fantastic quadruple, with every member of the team stepping up to play their part. The 2-old looks to be another brilliant signing by Jurgen Klopp and could help lead them to success at the end of the season.

Liverpool are now waiting to see who they will face in the final between Chelsea and Crystal Palace, as both sides play their semi-final clash this Sunday. The Reds will hope they can continue to count on their young Frenchman to pitch in defensively and, with some luck, win the unprecedented quadruple.

Liverpool star Thiago Alcantara controls the midfield in FA Cup semi-final win

Arguably, one of the best players on the field on the day, the former Bayern Munich star showcased a masterclass performance against Manchester City. Pulling the strings in the midfield, the star won 11 out of 12 duels, made four tackles, won three fouls, completed 46 passes, and added an assist to boot.

It was no surprise that fans on the Red side of Wembley, in admiration of the star midfielder, chanted:

"Thiago, Thiago takes the p*ss."

Although the star was reprimanded by pundits, including John Barnes, last season for "slowing the game down", he has become a key part of Jurgen Klopp's side. This campaign has seen him play consistently for the Reds, starting 13 Premier League games and flourishing at Anfield.