Konate wants to be ‘better’ than Liverpool teammate van Dijk | OneFootball

Ibrahima Konate has set himself a challenge: he wants to be better than his centre-back partner Virgil van Dijk one day.

Konate was asked if he think his partnership with the Dutchman is the best in the world, to which he replied: “This season, I think, yeah. Everyone knows Virgil’s quality. For me he’s the best, no one is better than him at centre-back. I learn a lot from him.”

He then went on to say: “I want to be better than him one day. And that’s why I work hard to reach this level one day.”

It’s a very bold target for the 25-year-old, who also revealed that he rushed himself back from his knee injury earlier this season.

“I have tried to come back at 100 per cent but I’m not, because I rushed my comeback. But I’ve done this for my team and I can die for this team. My knee will be back to 100 per cent soon, it’s fine.”

He continued: “I still have pain sometimes, but I play with painkillers and it’s alright for me to play.”

Liverpool fans may be concerned to hear this, as Konate has proven himself to be one of the best defenders in the league this season, and as the fixture congestion cranks up and the knockouts of the Champions League come, everyone needs to be at full fitness.

The Frenchman excelled again in Liverpool’s dramatic 2-0 win at Brentford on the weekend, with manager Arne Slot lauding the centre-back partnership as key to the Reds’ position at the top of the table domestically and in Europe.