Opinion - A look at Kostas Tsimikas' time at Anfield

Liverpool signed left-back Kostas Tsimikas from Olympiacos for a transfer fee of £11.70 million back in the summer of 2020 as cover for Andy Robertson.

But, we hardly saw the Greece international during his debut season at Anfield. Tsimikas only made seven appearances for the Reds.

The 26-year-old could not stay fit when he first arrived at the club. So, we could not really make any immediate judgements regarding Tsimikas as a player. We just didn't see enough of him to do so.

Robertson actually defended the full-back's first nine months at the club late last year, which we absolutely loved. Teammates should always support each other, however, it doesn't always happen.

As quoted by LFC Transfer Room, the Scotland international said the following: "Last season he had COVID, which I think wiped him out for a few weeks, and then he had a nasty knee injury. So it was tough, but he was constantly working hard.

"The position we were in in terms of not having many options due to injuries last season meant that I ended up playing every game, but he was still working hard."

The fact that Tsimikas was not 100 percent fit and still worked hard everyday last season highlights that he is mentally strong.

However, the left-back has managed to stay fit this campaign, which means that we have seen a fair bit of him.

When Robertson has been rested or simply unavailable for selection, Tsimikas has averaged a WhoScored player rating of 7.06 across 24 appearances.

He has also registered six assists for Liverpool this season.

The aforementioned figures highlights that Tsimikas is more than good enough to play for Liverpool. He is good defensively and adds plenty of flair going forward. He is also tough, which you need in the Premier League.

Also, Tsimikas is only 26 years of age. Therefore, he certainly has room for improvement.

However, we do have concerns regarding Tsimikas' long-term future at the club.

The reality is, Robertson is far from finished at the top level. The Scotland international is only 28 years of age, so unless he moves on or his performances drop off dramatically, Tsimikas isn't getting in the first-team on a regular basis anytime soon.

It would be fair to assume that the Greece international will want to play regular senior football at some stage during his prime years. No footballer wants to waste the best spell of their career.

But, Tsimikas has made it clear that he loves life at Liverpool.

“I enjoy life here a lot," he recently told the club's official website.

“I enjoy life in England and I enjoy life as a Liverpool player a lot. Obviously, the first year was not as I hoped and was the most difficult year of my career so far in football."

Perhaps Tsimikas is one of those players that does not mind being a squad member for an elite football team.

Also, it is not everyday you see a player admit that they love the club they are playing for. The man seems invested in Liverpool.

But, only time will tell if Tsimikas, who is contracted until the summer of 2025, has a long-term future at Anfield.

On another note, it is nice to have two solid left-backs representing the club. We strongly believe that you can never possess too many good footballers in your squad.

Hopefully the current group of players will remain at Liverpool for many years to come. The culture at the club is strong (success, silverware etc) at the moment.

The players are a key reason why that is the case.