Jordon Ibe reveals how he became a Liverpool fan, and talks Derby County, form, future prospects and more…
Jordon Ibe is the toast of Merseyside right now, but the youngster could have been turning out for Chelsea, if he’d stuck with his first choice of club. The teenage sensation grew up a Chelsea fan, before one famous game changed his mind.
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Ibe, who was quoted by the Daily Mail, revealed: “Dad was a Liverpool fan.
“Growing up I supported Chelsea a little bit but I’ve been a Liverpool fan since I started watching the games. I watched the Champions League final in the evening. I wasn’t [normally] allowed to stay up but I watched it.”
Since returning from a loan spell with Derby County, the 19-year-old has made an immediate impact at Anfield, playing a starring role in Thursday’s 1-0 Europa League win over Besiktas.
“I am enjoying it and it’s good for the gaffer to get me involved and hopefully I can get a few more chances to play,” says Ibe. “My Dad is proud and the whole family are proud. I enjoyed it at Derby. I made a lot of friends. The team was great and I was playing all the time.
“Steve McClaren is a good manager, definitely a great coach on the training ground. He always helped me and the young players. I enjoyed my time with him. So [when I heard Liverpool wanted me back] I was thinking to myself, “was I going to come back and not play?
“But it was a confidence booster because I had been doing well and he [Rodgers] asked me to come back. It’s given me confidence to join in with the first team and try to prove myself. I have done well and I am enjoying my football.”
Looking back on his earlier career, Ibe discusses why he chose Liverpool, after getting his break with Wycombe Wanderers: “I thought it was the right time for me to move away from home,” says Ibe.
“I had a trial at Manchester City when I was younger but this was a good choice for me. It was a bit difficult when I was a bit younger but as I was leaving secondary school I thought it was the right choice.
“My family moved up with me and it’s been great ever since. I haven’t been homesick at all and I had education when I was in the youth team, so everything has been cool and I have made friends at the club.
“I’m learning from the attacking players like Mario [Balotelli], Raheem [Sterling], [Daniel] Sturridge and Coutinho, and I’m trying to add goals to my game and prove to the manager I can keep playing.
“Wing-back is a new position for me but it’s good because I can attack the [opposition] full-back.Raheem has been a really big influence. He has been helping me and we talk off the pitch and he gives me advice.
“He is a year older than me and it gives me a lot of confidence to try and achieve what he has achieved at such a young age. Mario is another person who has helped me on and off the pitch.”