Jurgen Klopp: Why this complete Liverpool striker has a huge future at Anfield

JURGEN KLOPP has told Christian Benteke he has a future at Liverpool and described him as "a complete striker".

 

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp reckons Christian Benteke is the 'complete striker' despite critics

 

Benteke will spearhead another inexperienced Liverpool team in tonight's FA Cup third-round replay against Exeter as he returns to starting line-up.

The £32.5m forward is the club's leading scorer with seven goals, yet his summer move from Aston Villa has hardly proved a smooth transition with Klopp telling Benteke he needed to run more and naming him as a substitute against Arsenal and Manchester United.

Yet the Liverpool manager insisted the Belgium international remained central to his plans.

"You are too quick in your judgments," he said. "If I would work like this I would send players who miss chances to the next club or whatever.

 

"Stay cool. Of course he has a future. That is not a question."

Klopp confirmed he had met Benteke and his agent, Eris Kismet, at Dusseldorf airport while in charge of Borussia Dortmund about a potential transfer from Aston Villa in 2013.

That deal did not materialise, but Klopp said Liverpool were simply working out how best to harness Benteke's attributes.

"I had a lot of meetings with players and not all these players became my players after this for a lot reasons," said Klopp.

"We saw a lot of games he played in, keeping the ball, technical skills, of course the header but not only that, finishing skills, all this stuff. From all those things he is a complete striker but at the end you have to work for it.

 

"He didn't finish development and we, as a team, didn't. In this situation you have to look how it fits. For example we had our games with Roberto [Firmino] and Christian at No10 and No9. It did not work in this moment, but that does not mean we can never play like this.

"We have to think about how we create chances. First of all we cannot hope that we can get the ball into the box and then maybe Christian will finish it. You are right he is a goalscorer and makes chances and so on, that is all good. He has always the possibility to play.

"I understand this: we don't score enough goals and you ask about the striker, the only striker in your mind, we have.

"He is on the bench and that seems to be strange but not in my opinion. As long as I have some influence in the starting line-up then I would like to use this influence."

Simon Mignolet is set to start in goal with Danny Ward, who was recalled from a loan spell at Aberdeen after Adam Bogdan's mistake in the first tie, ineligible.