Xherdan Shaqiri could become Liverpool’s best player because he has talent ‘like Lionel Messi’, according to former Basel boss Thorsten Fink.
The former Basel boss, now in charge at Grasshopper Zurich, believes that, in Shaqiri, Liverpool have a player with the most natural talent alongside Messi.
Shaqiri joined the Reds this summer from Stoke for £13.5 million and has already produced some fine displays in his eight Premier League appearances so far.
The versatile forward has two goals and two assists already this season and was on the scoresheet against Fulham this weekend meaning he has contributed to five goals in his last six appearances.
Xherdan Shaqiri's last six games for Liverpool in all competitions:
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And Fink believes, if he gets enough minutes, he could become Klopp’s best player.
“Cristiano Ronaldo, he worked for what he achieved,” Fink told ESPN. “But Messi, he had it.
“He didn’t have to work for this talent. Ronaldo must work for this — work with this body, work with everything. For me, Messi has this talent. That’s also for Shaqiri.
“He has this talent to play. If he works very professionally, he can be the best player for Liverpool — not only a player. Every time the aim must to be better and make the next step. If you play for Liverpool not every week, it cannot be enough for him. His aim must be to play every week.”
Fink, now 50, managed Shaqiri when the Liverpool man was a teenager in the Basel academy. He initially played him as a left-back but saw his attacking potential and quickly moved him further up the pitch.
“He’s smart and it was pleasure to work with him,” Fink added.
“He played very well as a left-back. I thought he was the best left-back I saw after Roberto Carlos. But every time his aim was to play forward.
“He was very creative. He did things what you were not aware [he could do]. Sometimes he plays passes in deep, he shoots very well. He could cross very well, his ball control was very good. He had everything what you need for a perfect player. He was explosive.
“My aim was for him to be more professional. He was professional, but there were small things what I wanted to give the player on his way to be one of the best players, to play for Liverpool or Bayern Munich.
“With his possibilities, it’s not enough to play for Stoke. He can play for the biggest club in the world because of the talent he has. That’s what I wanted.
“Everything [is there] for the perfect footballer. The only thing is: ‘Can you make the next step, Xherdan?’ If you want to play for Liverpool or Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Man United, and you want to play every time — not just be the man who sits on the bench — you need more professionalism.
“Now he had it, what I heard, and it’s important that he had a good coach and looked to him.”
Liverpool will be looking to get the best out of him this season as they have made an unbeaten start to their Premier League campaign. They currently sit just two points behind leaders Manchester City with a trip to Watford up next.
The post Messi-esque Shaqiri could become Liverpool’s best player – ex-Basel coach appeared first on Squawka News.
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