Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp has revealed what he said to summer signing Xherdan Shaqiri when he first arrived at Anfield, after the Reds triggered his £13m release clause in July.
Shaqiri made his first start of the season against Southampton on Saturday in the Premier League before playing the entirety of the Reds’ 2-1 loss against Chelsea in the EFL Cup on Wednesday.
The winger has been a central figure for the Switzerland team since making his debut in 2010 and has already earned 75 caps, while also turning out for the likes of Bayern Munich and Inter before arriving in England with Stoke City.
The 26-year-old has provided Klopp with added depth in the wide areas this season and will be aiming to try and become a key figure at Anfield by the end of the season.
Klopp has now revealed what he said to Shaqiri when he first arrived at the club after leaving Stoke and insisted that he did not want to bother him too much with adapting to any particular style.
“When he came in that's what I wanted from him, that he plays freely, don't think about anything and just play football”, Klopp told a press conference.
“I don't want to bother him and fill him up with information about the way we play, the way he has to defend, the way he has to run.
“I wanted to see how he adapts and that was clear in pre-season.
“But of course for the long term you need to get used to all these different things more and he makes big steps in that."
Liverpool are now preparing to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday in the Premier League and it remains to be seen if Shaiqir will feature.
