Jurgen Klopp recently stated that new goalkeeper Loris Karius would be the number one at Liverpool, relegating Simon Mignolet to the bench. The Belgian keeper did play in the EFL Cup match against Tottenham but he stated that the number one position is what he wants to fight for.

“I don’t want to be a No 2, that’s clear. I want to play.

“I will never give up fighting because that’s not in my character to just give up.”

The Belgian was signed from Sunderland by the Reds but a number of high-profile errors saw Loris Karius being brought in from Mainz at the start of the season. Karius is only 23 years at the moment while Mignolet is 28 and that is another factor why the Belgian wants to play regular football for the Merseyside club.

“Secondly, because I am not in a situation where I can sit on the bench. I’m 28 years old and I want to play week-in, week-out.

“So I’ll work hard and I’ll never give up – giving up is not what I want to do. I see it as a challenge that I can overcome. So hopefully it will be a fair challenge based on performances put in on the pitch.”

The manager’s decision is final

While Karius has not impressed many with his performances, he still looks shaky when it comes to collecting crosses; he has been given the go-ahead by the manager. Mignolet, though, wants to prove his ability to Klopp and is willing to fight hard to reclaim what he believes is his rightful place in the first team.

“I don’t want to think about that. It’s not in my character.

“I will always support the team and the club.  Hopefully I can get my chance again to show what I can do. I am happy with my performance against Tottenham.

“I will keep fighting to get my place back…to be honest, the only thing I can do is work hard, keep my head down.”

The end is near for the Belgian

While Mignolet isn’t the greatest keeper in the world, his shot saving ability is great. The Reds might need someone who provides them with more stability and playing a younger keeper might not provide the results right from the start but even keepers like David de Gea needed time to settle in the Premier League.

As the Belgian stated, he is not looking to be a number two at the club and that could mean that Mignolet could leave the club in January for guaranteed first team football. The Reds also have Alex Manninger who can chip in with a few games this season and Danny Ward is out on loan, and should play a role next season.

Liverpool do not have many extra games for Mignolet to take part in this season and if this is the end of the road for the Belgian, it has been a pretty crazy ride with many ups and downs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVF9j2iiWQ4