Takumi Minamino, a Japanese forward who played for RB Salzburg for five years, became the first Japanese player to land at Anfield in 2021, partly due to his shocking performance against Liverpool on the Champions League stage.
At first, he was expected to be a reserve for Roberto Firmino, but as his physical weaknesses were exposed, he was used less at center forward and more on the wing and in midfield.
Although he did not make his numbers in the Premier League, in the 2021-22 season he contributed to winning both the League Cup and FA Cup, scoring a total of seven goals.
However, he was not a threat to the starting lineup, and in the summer of 2022 he moved to AS Monaco.
He struggled for playing time in his first year in France, but this season he has performed differently with three goals and three assists in seven games.
The 28-year-old forward, who has also returned to the national team, looks back on his time at Liverpool and says it is still an important memory.
“It [going to Liverpool] was a great experience for me,”
“We won the Premier League and two cups – Carabao and FA Cup. For me this is a very important experience as a football player, it’s the most impressive memory for me.”
“Anfield is one of the best stadiums in the world I think. This atmosphere and if you score in this stadium as a Liverpool payer it’s amazing, I’ll never forget that feeling.”
Beanymansports
'Liverpool was a GREAT EXPERIENCE! Anfield one of the BEST STADIUMS IN THE WORLD!' | Takumi Minamino#minamino #liverpool #anfield pic.twitter.com/RytsS2PWnS
— BeanymanSports (@BeanymanSports) October 10, 2023