"Fresher than anyone and led with his voice" - Takumi Minamino heaps praise on Liverpool veteran and says he was a proper leader

Former Liverpool forward Takumi Minamino has heaped praise on James Milner, highlighting his leadership skills in the squad.

Minamino joined the Reds from Red Bull Salzburg in January 2020. He was loaned out to Southampton for six months in the second half of the 2020-21 season.

The Japanese forward played 55 matches for Jurgen Klopp's side, scoring 14 goals and providing three assists.

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He moved to AS Monaco in the summer and has since registered one goal and three assists in 14 games across competitions, starting just eight games.

Speaking to Kyodo News about his former teammates at Anfield, Minamino said (via Rousing the Kop):

“Salah and Mane were the two players who trained more than anyone. Thiago [Alcantara] got lots of injuries but he was really professional, trying to avoid them by doing exercises I’ve never seen before. [James] Milner was a real veteran but was fresher than anyone and led with his voice in training."

He added:

“There’ve been moments I thought, ‘What if I had played constantly during that period?’ I’m striving now to make sure I can say I gained something [from the time at Liverpool].”

Milner, 36, joined the Merseysiders from Manchester City in 2015. The versatile Englishman has played as a midfielder and as a fullback for the Reds. He has contributed 26 goals and 45 assists in 308 appearances for the club.

This is expected to be his final year at Anfield with his contract expiring next summer.

Joan Laporta confirms Liverpool beat Barcelona to sign Luis Diaz

Luis Diaz joined the Reds from FC Porto for around €60 million in January 2022. Barcelona president Joan Laporta has confirmed that they also held talks with Diaz's representatives. However, his deal with the Premier League giants was well-advanced.

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Laporta said (via Mundo Deportivo):

"At that time, we had just landed at the club but Liverpool beat us to it. There was a time when we were considering their incorporation but we still had an economic situation that we had to resolve, to reverse and they beat us to it."

He added:

"He's a great player and he belongs to Liverpool and I won't talk about this anymore but yes, I admit it, in the past, when he went from Porto to Liverpool, we had a conversation with his representative but Liverpool already had it very advanced."

Diaz has scored 10 goals and provided eight assists in 38 matches across competitions for Klopp's side.

He was a key addition to the squad that challenged for an unprecedented quadruple last season. However, they could only win the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, narrowly losing out on the Premier League title and the UEFA Champions League trophy.