Konate admits "apprehension" at Liverpool as he reflects on Anfield start

Ibrahima Konate isn't the first Liverpool player to go through Jurgen Klopp's tough initiation process, and he certainly won't be the last.

But the summer signing, who has found opportunities difficult to come by since his arrival, is confident that he will establish himself in the starting XI in the long term.

The central defender was Klopp's only summer signing, adding to his defensive options which were ravaged during last season's failed title attempt.

Injuries to Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez all but ended Liverpool 's tilt at retaining their Premier League crown - something the manager was adamant wouldn't happen this time around.

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However, Konate has managed just three appearances in the league so far, with Van Dijk and Matip appearing to be the preferred pairing.

Klopp has shown patience with a number of signings in the past, refusing to throw them into the starting lineup until they are completely ready.

And Konate has suggested he has no issues with that approach, branding Klopp as one of the best managers in the world, helping him overcome some early pangs of doubt.

In an interview over the weekend, he told Canal+ via Sport Witness: "When you arrive in such a club, you do so with a bit of apprehension, but if there's a club ready to put such an amount on you, and the manager is talking to you, making you understand he wants you.

"Jürgen Klopp is, I think, one of the best managers in the world. We spoke a lot on the phone. I asked him personal questions, he did too.

"What I really felt was a trust, and I felt this club was really a mythical club, different from the others, and I felt myself being here even before I'd signed, so all this is why I took the decision to come to this club."

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The Ivorian started back-to-back games against Manchester United and Brighton, but was relegated back to the bench for the Reds' defeat at West Ham on Sunday.

Asked if he is confident of eventually earning a regular place in Klopp's plans, he added: "I told myself that if I come to Liverpool, yes it's another level, but I trust my abilities, so I'm going to do everything to earn my spot, whether it be short-term or long-term".

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Despite handing him relatively few opportunities, the German manager has been full of praise for the 22-year-old's performances on the training ground.

"Ibou is training on the highest level. Of course Joel is a great player, but we cannot just push him through all the time," he told Sky Sports ahead of the win over United at Old Trafford.

"We saw a few things where we thought this would be a good game for Ibou, now he starts alongside Virgil and the other guys, and hopefully he'll have a good game."