Tony Barrett Published at 12:01AM, July 14 2016
Loris Karius has staked his claim to be Liverpool’s first-choice goalkeeper, saying that he expects to oust Simon Mignolet having sacrificed a place in Germany’s Olympic team in order to prove himself at Anfield.
In a revealing insight into Karius’s character and self-belief, two of the qualities which prompted Jürgen Klopp to sign him from Mainz, the Bundesliga club, Karius claimed he is too good to be a substitute at Liverpool and insisted that he only agreed to return to English football on the basis that he will play, following an unrewarding spell at Manchester City as a teenager.
With Mignolet yet to return to training following his involvement at Euro 2016 with Belgium, Karius is being given an early opportunity to prove himself in Liverpool’s pre-season matches and he does not intend to waste the chance, even going so far as to inform Germany that he does not want to be included in their Olympic football team due to club commitments.
Instead of playing for his national team in Brazil, Karius expects to be selected for Liverpool’s opening two Premier League fixtures, away to Arsenal and Burnley. Should that happen, Mignolet’s status as No 1 goalkeeper will be lost after three mixed seasons.
“I wouldn’t come here just to sit on the bench. That doesn’t make sense for me,” Karius said. “I’m not a keeper who hasn’t shown his ability. I know I am a good goalkeeper and I’ve shown that a lot.
“I could have stayed at Mainz and played there. If I wasn’t sure I could come and play here this season, I wouldn’t have done it.
“I spoke with the manager and we said that it doesn’t make sense for me to go to the Olympics as I would miss the first two league games of the season and of course I want to play in them.
“We agreed together I wouldn’t be going [to Rio]. First I spoke with Jürgen and then together we spoke with the German people who wanted me to go. The priority is the club. It’s more important that I am available for the start of the season.”
Regarded as one of the Bundesliga’s most promising goalkeeping prospects before moving to Liverpool in a £5 million deal, the 23-year-old has already had one brief spell in English football, having spent two and a half years in City’s junior ranks before joining Mainz in order to play regular football in August 2011.
During discussions with Klopp before his move to Anfield, Karius was not swayed from the idea that he could hold down a regular starting place in the Liverpool team but he would not be drawn on whether he has been afforded any guarantees to that effect.
“What we’ve talked about stays with us,” Karius said. “Of course I know that a club like this has more competition. It’s a bigger club and better players means more competition.
“I am not scared or anything. If I was, I wouldn’t have come here. I have a good feeling.
“I just need to produce my best and show what I can do. The manager has seen a good goalkeeper in me otherwise he wouldn’t have brought me here.
“It’s good to be back in England. When I left City I was still really young and I decided to go somewhere else to get some first-team experience. I took the step to Mainz. I needed to join a smaller club to get my career going as a young player. I did everything right with that move.
“I had almost three full seasons in the Bundesliga. I am still young but I’ve played around 100 games in the Bundesliga so I have some experience. I thought it was time to take the next step in my career.
Loris Karius has staked his claim to be Liverpool’s first-choice goalkeeper, saying that he expects to oust Simon Mignolet having sacrificed a place in Germany’s Olympic team in order to prove himself at Anfield.
In a revealing insight into Karius’s character and self-belief, two of the qualities which prompted Jürgen Klopp to sign him from Mainz, the Bundesliga club, Karius claimed he is too good to be a substitute at Liverpool and insisted that he only agreed to return to English football on the basis that he will play, following an unrewarding spell at Manchester City as a teenager.
With Mignolet yet to return to training following his involvement at Euro 2016 with Belgium, Karius is being given an early opportunity to prove himself in Liverpool’s pre-season matches and he does not intend to waste the chance, even going so far as to inform Germany that he does not want to be included in their Olympic football team due to club commitments.
Instead of playing for his national team in Brazil, Karius expects to be selected for Liverpool’s opening two Premier League fixtures, away to Arsenal and Burnley. Should that happen, Mignolet’s status as No 1 goalkeeper will be lost after three mixed seasons.
“I wouldn’t come here just to sit on the bench. That doesn’t make sense for me,” Karius said. “I’m not a keeper who hasn’t shown his ability. I know I am a good goalkeeper and I’ve shown that a lot.
“I could have stayed at Mainz and played there. If I wasn’t sure I could come and play here this season, I wouldn’t have done it.
“I spoke with the manager and we said that it doesn’t make sense for me to go to the Olympics as I would miss the first two league games of the season and of course I want to play in them.
“We agreed together I wouldn’t be going [to Rio]. First I spoke with Jürgen and then together we spoke with the German people who wanted me to go. The priority is the club. It’s more important that I am available for the start of the season.”
Regarded as one of the Bundesliga’s most promising goalkeeping prospects before moving to Liverpool in a £5 million deal, the 23-year-old has already had one brief spell in English football, having spent two and a half years in City’s junior ranks before joining Mainz in order to play regular football in August 2011.
During discussions with Klopp before his move to Anfield, Karius was not swayed from the idea that he could hold down a regular starting place in the Liverpool team but he would not be drawn on whether he has been afforded any guarantees to that effect.
“What we’ve talked about stays with us,” Karius said. “Of course I know that a club like this has more competition. It’s a bigger club and better players means more competition.
“I am not scared or anything. If I was, I wouldn’t have come here. I have a good feeling.
“I just need to produce my best and show what I can do. The manager has seen a good goalkeeper in me otherwise he wouldn’t have brought me here.
“It’s good to be back in England. When I left City I was still really young and I decided to go somewhere else to get some first-team experience. I took the step to Mainz. I needed to join a smaller club to get my career going as a young player. I did everything right with that move.
“I had almost three full seasons in the Bundesliga. I am still young but I’ve played around 100 games in the Bundesliga so I have some experience. I thought it was time to take the next step in my career.
