Takumi Minamino opens up on what it was like when he first joined Liverpool

Liverpool forward Takumi Minamino has opened up on his early days at Anfield.

The Reds signed the Japan international from RB Salzburg for a transfer fee of €8.50 million back in January 2020.

Minamino has revealed that when he first arrived at the club, he could not speak any English. Despite that being the case, the 27-year-old further added that his new teammates made it easy for him to settle into life on Merseyside.

As quoted by Anfield Watch's Twitter account, Minamino told the club's official website the following: “All the players are very kind. "When I came here, I couldn't speak any English. Nothing. But I could speak a little bit of German and those players who spoke German – Joel [Matip], Sadio [Mane], Naby [Keita], [Xherdan] Shaqiri – I asked them and they could answer in German." The Japan international added: “It was very helpful, especially in the first season. The club organised everything perfectly and for me it was very easy to get back into football and join the team again.”

Anfield Watch Verdict

The players currently representing the club are all good people. They are prepared to help people. Minamino's comments back up the aforementioned argument.

Minamino has not been given too much of an opportunity since signing for Liverpool. The forward has only made 52 appearances for the club's first-team.

Minamino was even sent out on loan to Southampton between January-June 2021.

However, we aren't surprised that the Japan international has not represented Liverpool's first-team on a consistent basis.

The reality is, Minamino is up against the likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz.

Therefore, we don't see the his situation improving anytime soon. Minamino's contract does not expire until the summer of 2024.

It will be interesting to see if the forward does look for more opportunity elsewhere in the near future.