Liverpool new boy turns to mental coach to help him adjust to Anfield life

Christian Benteke has scored one Premier League goal for Liverpool so far this season

CHRISTIAN BENTEKE has turned to a mental coach to help him adjust to life at Anfield after his £32million move to Liverpool.

Benteke, 24, knows he is under pressure to live up to his huge fee, and asked for help in adapting to the different style of football after his summer transfer from Aston Villa.

The Belgian international has enlisted the help of Michel Bruyninckx, a specialist coach who is credited with the development of many of Belgium's current crop of international stars.

 

Speaking to the Mirror Bruyninckx said: “One day, he gave me a call and said, ‘Can I have some ­additional sessions.’

"When he was a boy in Belgium, he changed regularly from one club to another, because he only had one profile - as a physically strong player.

"I tried to encourage him then to expand his mind to see that he must not accept those labels and that he could continuously change his skills, and the way he learned to think has been enormously important to his career.

 

"I hear people say he is not a Liverpool type of player, but I tell you that he can adapt to any club.

"This challenge is not new for him. For many years, people tried to convince Christian he was only a physical player but, through his mental power, he has changed all that.

"When you watch him in the national team, you can see that, technically, he is skilled, he is creative, he is intelligent. I fully believe that, through Liverpool, he will go to a higher level again."