Brazilian football legend Rivaldo has praised Thiago Alcantara and believes Liverpool will be a stronger team with him in the side.
Thiago has had to wait to become a regular figure in Jurgen Klopp’s side, after suffering a knee injury in October’s Merseyside derby.
Now the 29-year-old is fully fit, and is already beginning to show why he is regarded as one of the best midfielders in world football.
Rivaldo’s comments come a few days after former Liverpool star Didi Hamann intimated that his old club may have been better off had they not signed Thiago from Bayern Munich.
Hamann said: "He slows things down and doesn't really play the way Liverpool play. Liverpool in the past two years had hard-working midfielders. They were skilful, yes, but not as skilful as Thiago."
And he added: "I can tell you [Thiago] is a good player, a skilful player, yes. But there was never a time at Munich where people said he should be the first name on the teamsheet."
But Brazil legend Rivaldo insists that Thiago and Liverpool’s styles go hand in hand, and is expecting the midfielder to help the club fight to retain the Premier League title.
"I'm a great fan of Thiago's abilities and they were immediately clear on his return against Manchester United last week,” Rivaldo told Betfair.
He added: “The Liverpool midfielder is very calm with the ball and has great movement and vision as well as great passing skills.
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“He could be pivotal to bringing Liverpool back to their best, after some bad results in the last few weeks, and help them challenge to retain their Premier League title.
“He not only plays well himself, but also makes his teammates play better with his passing.
“That's why I consider that his return to the team can have great influence on Jurgen Klopp's team in the next few months."
