- The Liverpool youngster left Klopp in shock
- Billy Koumetio reveals all about how he signed for Liverpool and broke into Jurgen Klopp’s first team for the first time.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, defender Billy Koumetio and former Reds striker Sadio Mane
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, defender Billy Koumetio and former Reds striker Sadio Mane
It has been 21 months since Billy Koumetio first started at Liverpool.
The Frenchman was one of four central defenders to leave the Reds on loan this summer. With Rhys Williams and Sepp van den Berg moving to Aberdeen and Mainz for the season in July, and Nat Phillips being snapped up by Celtic just before the transfer deadline, he was given a temporary departure to the newly promoted Ligue 2 USL. . Dunkirk at the end of last month
The switch will see him return to his native France for the first time since moving to Liverpool from Orleans in 2018. After his first temporary move from Austria to Vienna failed last season, he made just 11 appearances before making an ill-fated comeback. to Anfield. A 20-year-old man decided to take advantage of his second loan opportunity in familiar surroundings.
After being in the back four on loan this summer, Jurgen Klopp brought youngster Jarell Quansah off the bench as the Reds beat Newcastle United and Aston Villa recently. A few seasons ago, Koumetio might have hoped that such opportunities would come his way. Koumetio was nicknamed Billy Klopp’s boy after impressing in pre-season in the summer of 2020. Perhaps he hasn’t made as much of an impact on the first team over the last three years as he would have liked. Therefore, his first Liverpool start against Leicester City in the League Cup in December 2021 will also be his last.
It remains to be seen whether he will do enough in France to earn more chances for the Reds, who are looking for further reinforcements at centre-back over the next 12 months. But he will once again attract Liverpool’s attention at home and whatever happens next, he won’t regret it. “I was in Lyon. In France, if the club doesn’t offer you anything, you always have the chance to go,” a shocked Koumetio told the ECHO in an exclusive interview last season, explaining how he ended up at Liverpool. “So I was in Lyon. under 16 playing.
– We had three centre-backs with the same foot, the same age but with different playing styles. One moved, the other stayed and now plays in the main team. I think I was one of two players at the time who didn’t get offers from Lyon. “Then Liverpool came. I was like OK. My agent went to talk to Liverpool and called me before I left. He said, ‘Billy, if Liverpool came to me and offered you something interesting, would you go?’ I said, OK, let me think about it, then I’ll call you back.”
I put down the phone and immediately thought: “Am I crazy?” I called him back and said: “If Liverpool offer a deal, I’ll leave now!” He went and then came back and we talked and that was it. – It took some time, but I said yes and accepted the project. I was very happy, I am still happy and I will always be happy with this choice! Absolutely 100%!”
Koumetio was not always a central defender. He actually started his career as a winger before switching back to left back. He was seen sporadically due to injuries hampering his success at Lyon, but forced absences elsewhere made him a central midfielder.
“When I was little, I always wanted to play full-back,” he admitted. “I think most players want us to keep playing young! That was my position when I was young, playing on the left. – I scored many goals and my parents always watched them. When I was younger, I wanted to play like Ronaldo. When I was young enough!“It changed quickly because my position changed. Now Van Dijk is one. He’s the one I look up to, he’s amazing. It is a pleasure to train and play with him.
“It’s a privilege to train with him and the other defenders and talk to them every day. I take everything I can from them. Whether it’s Konate or Matip or Van Dijk or Gomez. I take a piece from everyone and make my game.” I am honored to see them every day and I learn something new from them every day.
“When I was 13 or 14, I changed positions. But not to central defender, but to left back. I had a difficult year in the under-14s. I didn’t play as much as an adult, 12 cents a year. . . “So I had all kinds of pain. Knees, thighs, all kinds of things. So I tried to find myself on the court and not play. I lost speed. “But I remember very well one day. It was one of the last games of the season. The coach put me in the middle and I played well. When I moved to the left, I defended better and learned to defend. I played from behind
– At the end of the season I was on the bench and we played against PSG. The center back was injured, and the second coach said to the first coach, “Put Billy in!”– When he put me in the game, I played an incredible game. An incredible game and everyone was shocked. And from then on I stayed in that position and did a whole season in that position in the under-15s.
– I loved playing in this place and I have never changed since then. I was very comfortable and then I learned to take care of the back line.
Two years later, he played as a central defender for Liverpool. “Oz Billy!
