Despite Liverpool suffering a defeat against Napoli in the Champions League, Adrian proved his worth in between the sticks for the current European Cup holders.
BBC Sport pundit Stephen Warnock has been left in awe of Adrian following his ‘world-class’ save during Liverpool’s 2-0 defeat to Napoli on Tuesday night.
When the game was goalless, Adrian saved Dries Mertens point-blank volley, as he hurried across his near post to ensure the ball didn’t hit the back of the net.
Overall, Adrian produced a solid display in Naples in his first-ever Champions League game, but he couldn’t stop Mertens from netting from the spot and then Fernando Llorente doubling Napoli’s lead in stoppage-time.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live (17/09/2019), former Reds defender Warnock admitted that he ‘couldn’t bellieve it’ when the ball didn’t hit the back of the net following Mertens volley.
“What a save,” Warnock told BBC Radio 5 Live. “What a save that is – You think it’s going into the top corner and Adrian, he leaps, he gets all his height and gets into the top corner [to save it]. It’s an incredible save.
“I couldn’t believe it. I thought it was in. It’s an incredible attempt from Mertens and you are just waiting for the net to rustle. You are thinking, ‘it’s in!’. What a save by Adrian. And that one, you don’t often say it, but that was a world-class save.”
It has been a remarkable rise for Adrian in these coming months because at the start of the summer he was a free-agent and was looking for a new club.
But the sale of Simo Mignolet saw Liverpool move for the former West Ham man, who didn’t have to wait too long to make his debut for the club.
Alisson Becker suffered an injury in Liverpool’s opening day Premier League win against Norwich, with Adrian playing in between the sticks since then and, at this moment in time, more than proving his worth.
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