Jurgen Klopp has hailed the development of Dominic Solanke ahead of facing the former Liverpool forward this weekend.
Liverpool take on Bournemouth in the Premier League in a fixture that will see the Reds face the in-form forward, who is in the midst of a career-best campaign with the Cherries. Solanke scored six times in six games to earn the Premier League’ Player of the Month award for December and has been backed for an England call-up this spring.
Klopp signed Solanke for Liverpool as a teenager, though the forward struggled to make an impact and scored just once in 27 appearances across two seasons.
The 26-year-old, who was sold to Bournemouth in 2019, has produced the best football of his career this season and Klopp said he is delighted for his former player.
“I am so happy for Dom! Because when we signed him we were so excited about the talent he has,” Klopp said at his pre-match press conference.
“The talent he had here. But we had other strikers here as well. At that time he was not the most clinical but the talent was obvious.
“He made the absolute right decision to go there, through different stages. Last year he scored enough goals last season and is now up there with the greatest. I am so happy for him because a really good kid, wonderful player who has done it the hard way. He tried here but it was maybe a little bit too early but and then moving to Bournemouth. It’s really cool for him.”
Liverpool face a Bournemouth side who have made remarkable improvements under Andoni Iraola this season. The two teams top the Premier League’s form table over the last 10 games (22 points) and Klopp is anticipating a real challenge at the Vitality Stadium.
“When you don’t play them at the weekend I really have time to admire what he [Andoni Iraola] is doing at Bournemouth. Obviously a difficult start with the manager change and the results. If you don’t look properly at Bournemouth it can happen [that you don’t appreciate them] but, wow, they have turned it around and that is proper coaching.
“A really good mix, play football in the right moments with good direction. They use Dominic Solanke in a sensational way with the support he gets from the wings. They are really good, really compact. That’s proper.
“But I don’t think they are now preparing for us and thinking ‘thank God Liverpool is coming’. Because we feel good us as well and I want us to show that too. We are ready for a tough game in the Premier League. I can’t remember the last match day when it wasn’t tough because it’s never happened. They have my respect, definitely.”
