Ibrahima Konate says he was inspired by winning the trophy against the “incredible” Mohamed Salah and encouraged his Liverpool team-mate to win the Ballon d’Or.
The 32-year-old Egyptian forward is currently enjoying the best season of his illustrious career, scoring 21 goals and providing 17 assists in 29 appearances for the side chasing the Premier League title.
Salah has never finished higher than fifth in the Ballon d’Or standings and Konate is determined to help Liverpool win as many trophies as possible to ensure they ultimately win the Ballon d’Or. There is.
“Everything he’s done since the season started and since he played for Liverpool is crazy,” defender Konate said.
“I really hope that we can achieve great things this season, because if he continues like this I think he can win the Ballon d’Or at the end of the season.
“I think his aim is only to get big wins for Liverpool, so he would never say things like that. He said things about himself like, ‘I want to score more goals, I want to assist more,’ etc. I don’t really think about it. I just want to win the game.
“He just wants to share his experience with new players and young players. And for me to be such a player and such a professional at this age is incredible.”
Konate: ‘What a defender’ on Van Dijk
Konate also reserved praise for his centre-back partner and Reds captain Virgil van Dijk, admitting he did not know the Dutch defender’s abilities until arriving at Anfield.
“What a defender,” he smiled again. “When I was in Leipzig and watched some Liverpool games, I couldn’t understand how good he was.
“And sometimes I would come here and think, ‘No, how is this possible?’ He’s too good. When I first got here, he gave me a lot of advice. They helped me adapt.
“I think how much I need him on the pitch right now, it’s the same for him and for me. We just work together and aim for the best partnership in the world.
“Some strikers look at Virgil and are like, ‘Okay, I don’t have a chance against him anymore.’ They don’t give 100 per cent.”
slot vs crop
Since manager Arne Slott replaced Jurgen Klopp on Merseyside, the duo’s defensive chemistry has improved to the next level, with only Arsenal having a better defensive record than the Reds this season.
Konate believes Slot has brought a new level of control and explained the difference in how the backline functions this term compared to under his German predecessor.
He added: “(Trent Alexander-Arnold) helps us a lot when we attack, so there’s a lot of space left to defend. But the coach explained to us to defend with everyone. That helped me and my team a lot.
“If you compare it to last season and the season before that, we were more exposed, but I think we are more united now because everyone tries to help the team even when we lose the ball. Masu.
“Since the start of the season, no one expected the manager to do what he has done so far. He has great ideas about plays, knows what to do and it adapts to other teams. I think this will make a big difference for us compared to when we were coached by Jurgen.”
