Jurgen Klopp praised Rangers’ Leon King after the teenager’s performance against Liverpool last week. He may play again on Wednesday.
Rangers did what they could against Liverpool last week, defending as resolutely at Anfield. In the end, it took a free-kick and a penalty to undo them.
Jurgen Klopp praised Rangers’ Leon King after the teenager’s performance against Liverpool last week. He may play again on Wednesday.
Rangers did what they could against Liverpool last week, defending as resolutely at Anfield. In the end, it took a free-kick and a penalty to undo them.
And Jurgen Klopp thinks that’s a credit for the Rangers defence – including 18-year-old Leon King. The teenager made his Champions League debut against Liverpool, putting in a solid display.
“We scored two goals from set-pieces, which means left and right of them, they kept a clean sheet,” Klopp told a press conference. “He was in the last line, so it was definitely his credit as well.
“But an 18-year-old boy at Anfield for his first Champions League game? I’d say it was positive that he didn’t fall over the ball because of nerves.
“He played a good game and that says a lot about him.”
Jurgen Klopp talks up Leon King
Klopp did admit to not paying too much attention to opposition players last week. His praise for King was more general than direct – but he was sure to credit the teenager.
It’ll be interesting to see if he gets another game at Ibrox on Wednesday. Rangers may need to tackle the game in a slightly different way, given their need for points in the group. It’s safe to say that Liverpool feel vulnerable right now, too.
And so the Scots may not line up with a back five again. That would put King’s place into question, certainly, as they look to push on a bit more.
But should they choose him, Liverpool will have another tough performance and we know King can hold his own against the Reds. Even with their world-class selection of forwards. As Klopp says, that’s a real credit to such an inexperienced player.
