Karius admits he was putting himself under pressure.
Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius has told Goal that he was putting himself under too much pressure during his first few appearances.
The German signed from Mainz in a £4.7 million deal in the summer, but he had to wait until late September for his debut after he sustained a broken hand during the pre-season tour of the United States.
Liverpool’s Loris Karius
Karius has had a mixed start to life as the Reds’ number one – and has made a total of seven appearances. There have been a couple of issues when it comes to command of his area and his distribution hasn’t entirely lived up to the billing – though there have been signs of quality.
The 23-year-old told Goal: “I was putting myself under too much pressure because I was desperate to do well after my injury, to catch up right away, as I really missed being part of the team. I also didn’t know how secure my position was, which forces you to sometimes do too much and that’s why it maybe looked shaky from outside. But I’ve realised there’s no need to stress and over time, people will understand who I am as a goalkeeper if I just play my natural game.”
Watford’s Etienne Capoue in action with Liverpool’s Loris Karius
In the 6-1 win over Watford on Sunday, it was arguably the most settled the young German has been during the early stages of his Liverpool career. His decision making was sharper, his distribution ultimately led to one of the side’s goals and he pulled off a string of fine saves – which are all likely to make him feel better about himself. No doubt he would like a few more clean sheets to his name.
Jürgen Klopp stated clearly that for now Karius is the number one goalkeeper ahead of Simon Mignolet, and there are plenty of suggestions from Belgian in terms of both his off the field talk and signs of improvement when he was in the side that he is relishing the competition.
But Karius knows he is the main man and he seems to feel a little better for it. He, along with everyone else associated with the club, hopes that the more game time he has can help both him and the side to be that bit more solid at the back.
Liverpool’s Loris Karius (L) and Simon Mignolet warm up before the match
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
