Xherdan Shaqiri earned his first Premier League start for Liverpool against Southampton.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed he made the exception of explaining Xherdan Shaqiri’s half-time substitution to the player.
The 26-year-old earned a start for the Merseyside club on Saturday in the 3-0 Premier League win over Southampton.
His spectacular free-kick was inches away from going in on the stroke of half-time, before Mohamed Salah tapped in from close-range to put the contest to bed at 3-0.
But the Switzerland internatonal was hauled off at half-time by Klopp and replaced by James Milner to sure up the midfield.
Klopp has explained that he talked through the substitution with Shaqiri because he felt he deserved to hear the reasoning.
“It was not easy, to be honest. It’s my job to sometimes deliver news nobody wants to hear. That’s how it was at half-time but he is a fantastic boy. I explained it to him so it’s no problem,” Klopp said, as quoted by the club’s official website.
“Usually I don’t explain substitutions at half-time but I thought it made sense. It’s just good to have him; the free-kick was outstanding.”
Shaqiri has had to be patient so far this season with Liverpool since joining from Stoke City and is yet to complete 90 minutes for the club.
But the attacking midfielder is a left-footed ace with tremendous quality and has certainly proven he can make a serious impact in the Premier League.
He still needs to find his best position in the Liverpool side and may need time to adjust to a more central role.
Liverpool’s win over Southampton means they have now won their opening six games in the league and are proving their credentials as serious title contenders.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
