Liverpool FC defender Jose Enrique has backed Jordan Ibe to become better than Raheem Sterling and reckons the club will have only themselves to blame for not securing Champions League qualification given the quality at Anfield.
Liverpool FC finished a disappointing sixth in the Premier League last season. However, one shining light in the season, besides the form of Philippe Coutinho, was teenager Jordan Ibe who broke into the starting XI.
The winger lit up Anfield with his pace, power and direct running and has earned rave reviews for his performances in the pre-season tour of the Reds.
Jose Enrique backs Ibe to become better than Sterling
Having lost Raheem Sterling in the summer, defender Jose Enrique reckons Liverpool FC let go of the English winger because of how good Ibe can become.
As quoted saying by Marca, Enrique said: a If Liverpool look after him, then he can become another player worth 69million euros.
a He is super quiet, very much like Raheem was, but you can tell he has more.
a He has been our best player in pre-season. He is strong, he can drive forward and hits the ball with both feet. He is top, top top.a
“This season we have no excuse not to enter the top four”
Having signed six players in the close season, most of whom featured in the win over Stoke, Enrique reckons the club will have only themselves to blame if they do not finish in the top four.
a This season we have no excuse not to enter the top four,a he told Marca. a We have spent a lot of money to bring good players and I think he has made a great squad. We have many alternatives.
a Can we win the league? In football, you never know. We must try to fight for everything.”
. ‘Gerrard, Suarez impossible to replace’
Liverpool FC have lost talisman Steven Gerrard over the summer and another leader in Luis Suarez two summers ago. Hailing the duo, Jose Enrique reckons that it is impossible to replace them.
a We miss Stevie, above all for what he symbolised,a he said. a I wish he had stayed.
a Three summers ago we went to Malaysia and Stevie was king… and then it was Suarez. To make up for that, you have to sign a guy like Messi. Stevie was the emblem of the team.”
a I have one thing to say in his favour, despite all his years at Liverpool and winning everything, he was the most normal guy imaginable.
a If Gerrard was God in Liverpool, Luis was almost God. Suarez is irreplaceable. I shared a dressing room with Riquelme, ForlA?n … but none as good as him.
a He’s among the five best players in the world.a
Jose Enrique will be battling with compatriot Alberto Moreno and new signing Joe Gomez for the left back slot as he enters his final year of contract at Liverpool FC in what has been an injury-hit spell.