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Former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell has heaped praise on Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate following the Reds' 3-1 win against Benfica in the midweek.
The Merseysiders have one foot in the Champions League semi-final thanks to a solid advantage against the Eagles at the Estadio da Luz. Konate started the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final alongside Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the defence.
The Frenchman also scored his first Liverpool goal, having opened the scoring against Benfica with a brilliant header. Kevin Campbell has hailed the 22-year-old as 'an exceptional young player' and has also credited Jurgen Klopp for using the young defender 'correctly'.
The 52-year-old suggested that despite being behind Joel Matip in the pecking order, Konate has done incredibly well whenever he has been picked.
The former Arsenal attacker told Football Insider:
"I like him. I think he is an exceptional young player. Klopp has used him correctly. [Joel] Matip is the first choice with Virgil van Dijk but when Konate comes in, he does well."
Konate has played a total of 20 games across all competitions for Liverpool this season and has never been on the losing side. Klopp has turned towards the 22-year-old, particularly in Champions League games.
Campbell has revealed that he has his eyes on how the former RB Leipzig star fares 'in the business end of the season'. He said:
“He plays a lot of the Champions League games and some of the big Premier League games. He is equipping himself and is getting used to the pace of the Premier League. There is a lot more silverware to be won so it will be interesting to see how he fairs in the business end of the season. He has been a very good signing.”
Ibrahima Konate will be the future of the Liverpool defence
Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip are both 30 years of age right now and sooner or later, Liverpool will be looking to build their defence for the future. Konate has already shown that he can be entrusted to become the cornerstone of the Reds backline in the post-van Dijk era.
Joe Gomez has struggled for playing time since Konate's arrival, which shows the enormous faith Klopp has in his new signing. At just 22 years of age and boasting everything that a modern-day centre-back aspires to have, the Frenchman looks like a star for the future.
