Liverpool star Ibrahima Konate reveals TV programmes he watches before games to ‘give him determination’
Ibrahima Konate, the star defender of Liverpool, reveals he is a big fan of manga, comics, and anime. The France defender reveals that these Japanese cartoons are a big inspiration to him.
Konate has explained that during the pre-match preparation, the defender likes to watch Japanese cartoons to get him in the ‘zone’ and fully energetic to perform well in the match.
The centre-back joined the Reds from RB Leipzig in 2021. Konate, who was born in Paris, now plays with a Japanese player, Wataru Endo.
Konate’s fondness for anime and manga is well documented, with the Frenchman previously striking the iconic hand-over-the-heart expression after winning the FA Cup in Attack on Titan.
According to the media, Konate said:
“Sometimes when I look at manga my Liverpool teammates tell me: ‘Ibou, you’re too old for that.’ But they don’t understand that manga is not just a visual pleasure for me, but something that inspires me in my day-to-day life.”
“There are genuine messages in it. Sometimes, before certain games, I will put on some battle scenes from it and they fill me with determination.”
“Vegeta is a short-tempered character. But the mindset he shows, of working to be better than the best, is something that motivates me. Sometimes while I am training I think of him, and it gives me a boost.”
He has also posted gifs of famous characters from his most inspiring show, Dragon Ball Z, as well as making tributes in his captions on social media. Konate even paid tribute to Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball, who died on March 1. Konate wrote, “May peace be on his soul. I thank him for all the emotions he has given us.”
Konate: A key player of Liverpool
The star defender has been a crucial part of Liverpool’s bid for a quadruple that has only recently been relegated to a treble, with the Reds spending most of the season fighting on four fronts.
Jurgen Klopp‘s side who are second in the Premier League by goal difference alone behind Arsenal, are through to the last eight of the Europa League, and have already lifted the Carabao Cup.
Konate is already playing 32 games across all competitions and that too is in outstanding form. Liverpool stands a great chance of winning the treble. However, he has made a perhaps surprising admission over what it is that ‘inspires’ him as he builds up to games at the highest level.
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However, it is unclear how much game time Konate will get as he recovers from a recent hamstring injury, and Klopp will surely be watching on with great interest. Liverpool fans’ all hopes would be towards Konate’s immediate full recovery.
