New Liverpool signing Takumi Minamino has revealed he was disappointed with his display in the club’s 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Thursday, a game that marked his Premier League debut.
Roberto Firmino scored a late winner for the Reds, who lost talismanic forward Sadio Mane to injury after half-an-hour of the contest at Molineux.
His replacement Minamino – who recently joined from Red Bull Salzburg for £7.25m – drew plaudits for a bright showing in the Midlands, but the January arrival feels there was plenty of room for improvement.
Asked about his first taste of English top-flight football, Minamino said (as quoted by Metro): “I feel the manager’s trust in me, so I really want to repay him.
“Personally, I’m not satisfied with my own performance [at Wolves], so I want to meet the expectations of the people who support me.”
Minamino’s competitive mindset suggests he’ll be a valuable addition to the Reds squad, with the Japan international explaining: “I was mentally ready to go, and all I was thinking was how to fit into the team smoothly and get into the game.
“I don’t feel any pressure. I’m not sure how much expectation has been put on me, but I have nothing to lose.”
Jordan Henderson had given Liverpool an early lead against Wolves before Minamino’s introduction, only for Raul Jimenez to level matters in brilliant fashion inside the opening ten minutes of the second half.
Discussing the areas he wants to work on in light of the meeting with Wolves, the 25-year-old added: “I can play on either side, but it was more about how to link up with the full-backs. If we can build a better understanding of each other, I’m sure it will get even better.
“They scored an equaliser after I came on, so I was desperate to contribute to the winning goal in any way I can. After we scored the second goal, I made sure to keep it simple and defend solidly.”
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