Liverpool legend singles out £25m midfielder for his subtle impact at Anfield

Barnes' statement about Liverpool's match vs Man City this week seems absolutely bonkers

Ex-Liverpool midfielder John Barnes has highlighted the performances of Georginio Wijnaldum over the last few months, hailing him as ‘fantastic’.

Wijnaldum has featured in all of Liverpool’s matches at the start of the new season, most recently starring against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

The Dutchman – who signed for the club for £25 million back in 2016, as per BBC Sport – was instrumental in a thrilling 3-2 win against the French champions, impressing in the middle of the park with his technical prowess and relentless running up and down the pitch.

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Jurgen Klopp’s men have won all of their games in the Premier League and the 27-year-old has been no small part in that, fully establishing himself as a key member of the squad capable of producing the goods on the biggest stage for his club.

Unfortunately,  the likes of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Virgil Van Dijk usually steal all the headlines for the Reds, as part of a squad brimming with world-class players in both attack and defence, which means Wijnaldum’s subtle impact on the team can sometimes go unnoticed.

According to Barnes, who enjoys legendary status among Liverpool supporters, the midfielder deserves more credit for his influence over the last few months, as he told Talk Sport on Wednesday: “Wijnaldum has been fantastic in the past four or five months

“He was great at the end of last season in the Champions League and Premier League.

“The question now is who is going to be the first-choice midfield three – you‘ve got Henderson, Wijnaldum, Milner and Naby Keita and Fabinho have come in now.

“But, for me, Wijnaldum has been the most impressive of the midfield three, alongside Milner, in the last four or five months.”

High praise indeed from a well-respected figure in the game which serves to re-emphasise just how important Wijanldum is to Klopp and his team’s chances of winning some silverware in the coming months.

The Reds are riding the crest of a wave at the moment and look unstoppable in their pursuit of glory, but the new campaign is still very much in its infancy.

 

Supporters will hope that Wijnaldum and his teammates continue to perform at such a high level as the fixtures start to pile up, starting with a Premier League clash against Southampton on Sunday.