Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool have signed a ‘proper leader’, wowed him and his coaches

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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has waxed lyrical about Reds newcomer Ben Davies, saying he’s a “really good” player who looks like a “proper leader”.

The 25-year-old centre-back completed a January deadline day move to Anfield from Championship side Preston.

Davies, who was in the final six months of his contract, has joined Liverpool on a long-term deal for a reported £2million fee.

With Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and now Joel Matip ruled out long term, the reigning Premier League champions were forced into action.

Klopp has admitted that, in a “normal” transfer window, he likely wouldn’t have looked at a team like Preston for reinforcements.

However, he is excited about the opportunity handed to Davies in wake of the club’s defensive issues, and admits that he and his coaches were impressed by the player.

“What I like about Ben is it just shows that each situation creates opportunities,” Klopp told the Liverpool website.

“I think it’s probably clear that in a normal transfer window, without any issues, we would not look at Preston if there’s a player for us or something like that. It’s not really likely.

“But since we saw him and since our situation got clearer and clearer – the problems we had – when we saw him we got really excited about it and thought, ‘Wow.’

“We see the potential really. We see the quality and we see the potential as well because he’s 25 and there’s a lot to come for him.

“I love a lot about his play. He’s a really good footballer, looks like a proper leader in this Preston team, good in challenges, looks football smart, can play different positions because he played in a back three and a back four and all these things.

“That makes him really interesting so I’m really looking forward to working with him. I know for him it’s an opportunity and I see it exactly the same for us, that it’s a really good thing to do.”

As well as Davies, Turkey international centre-back Ozan Kabak has joined the Reds until the end of the season.

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Davies has shown he’s a cut above in the English second tier and it’s little surprise that he’s now being linked with a step up – indeed, it’s surprising it’s taken this long.

Former Preston boss Graham Westley had tipped the defender for a big move as early as 2013, when he was just 17 and had made his Lilywhites debut against Walsall.

“I expect George Boyd in this window or the next to move to the Premier League, and I’m not embarrassed to say that Ben has the same sort of potential,” he is quoted by LFE as saying.

“He got himself up and running as the game went on and was calm and composed. That was a terrific debut.”

With Andrew Robertson making a huge name for himself after signing from newly-relegated Hull, let’s hope Davies can become the next big Reds star signing from an EFL club.