Arne Slot paid tribute to Ibrahima Konate after the Liverpool defender cut short his compassionate leave to help them secure a 4-1 victory over Newcastle United.
The France international was not initially expected to feature against Eddie Howe’s side having already missed three games following the recent death of his father.
However, after injuries heavily depleted Slot’s defensive options, Konate vowed to return to Merseyside from his homeland earlier than planned and he capped an outstanding performance by scoring Liverpool’s fourth goal late on. It was the first time the former RB Leipzig centre-back had scored in the Premier League at Anfield.
“He had a very difficult two weeks and probably still has a difficult time,” Slot said after the match in his press conference. “We spoke at the end of last week when he said he was planning to be back by the end of this week. That would have meant he couldn’t have played this game.
“But when he saw all the problems we had defensively, he called me earlier this week and said he wanted to come back to help the team against Newcastle. He came back Wednesday, trained twice with us and today he not only scored a goal but played a great game.
“The fans were really appreciative of him throughout the game and definitely at the end when he scored. His team-mates were just as appreciative when he came in the dressing room after.
“Everyone was cheering. It is very nice for him to score a goal in such a difficult time. This team has shown we are always there for each other in difficult circumstances. They were so happy for him.”
It’s been a morale-boosting week for Liverpool since last Saturday’s defeat at Bournemouth. The 6-0 thrashing of Qarabag in midweek booked their place in the last 16 of the Champions League and this win over Newcastle lifted them to fifth place in the Premier League.
“We are an industry where it is all about results,” Slot added. “I told them after the Bournemouth game that we had to improve in both boxes because in between we did so many things at a high level.
“In the last two games, scoring 10, conceding one, I can safely say that it’s been a big improvement.
“Pleased and happy we have these two results but because of the many points we have dropped we are also aware this is certainly not enough.”
Asked about speculation linking midfielder Curtis Jones with a possible move to Inter, Slot said: “There’s always a lot of talk about Liverpool and Liverpool players.
“There was a lot of noise around the club over the last week or should I say weeks, but today our fans showed what noise really means. They were so helpful today. That is what noise here is in Liverpool.
“We are trying to strengthen the squad, not trying to weaken it. Let’s see where the window ends up.”