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Former Premier League striker Clinton Morrison has hit back at critics of Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara.
The 42-year-old has lavished praise on the Spanish international following his mind-blowing display against Manchester United in midweek. Thiago absolutely bossed the midfield for the Reds against their bitter rivals as they won the game 4-0 at Anfield.
Morrison has claimed that Thigao has silenced his critics with his incredible performances this season in Liverpool midfield. The 42-year-old told Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports, as quoted by HITC Sport:
“It made me laugh because when he was injured. A few people were doubting him ‘can he play?’ He’s a fantastic player. He always looks to go forward. Not safe to just go sideways and backwards. He is a confident player in possession. He has all kinds of ability. The other night, it looked like he was playing with his slippers. It was that good."
Morrison hailed Thiago for his complete and effortless performance as he finally looks to have settled into Jurgen Klopp's side. He added:
“He ran the show in midfield. I thought it was the complete performance. Even tackling, he wins his tackles. And it looks like he is fit now and is firing. He has got to the pace Liverpool want to play at and he just makes the game look easy.”
Thiago finally showcasing his talent at Liverpool
Liverpool's signing of Thiago from Bayern Munich in 2020 was an exception to how the Reds' recruitment has worked in recent years. The Merseyside giants have hardly signed players beyond the age of 25 since Fenway Sports Group took over the club in 2010.
In terms of talent and technique, very few footballers are as gifted as the Spanish international. However, the 31-year-old has always had poor luck with injuries during his illustrious career.
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich star struggled in his first season at Anfield. His persistent injury problems prohibited him from getting a good run of games. He made 30 appearances in all competitions last season for the Reds.
However, the Spaniard has been on fire this season, especially over the last couple of months. Jurgen Klopp's excellent man-management is bringing the best out of his supremely-talented midfielder. He has made 30 appearances so far in all competitions this season, scoring twice and assisting three goals.
If the 31-year-old can stay injury-free, Liverpool have a great chance of adding a number of silverware to their cabinet in the years to come.
The Reds are still in the running for an unprecedented quadraple and Thiago's contrinution has been immense behind that.
