Jurgen Klopp has hailed Takumi Minamino's transformation since returning to Liverpool from a half-season loan spell with Southampton last year.
The Japan international made the temporary move to St. Mary's back in January after finding starting opportunities limited at Anfield, but endured an inconsistent stint on the South Coast as he scored twice from 10 appearances.
But while his time with the Saints might not have gone as well as planned, Klopp is adamant the Reds are already reaping the benefits from the forward's time away from the club after he netted a midweek brace against Norwich City in midweek when making his first appearance of the season.
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"Everything helps Taki. Taki is really an outstanding talent," the German told reporters at his Brentford pre-match press conference. "You come from Asia, you go to Salzburg. You come from Salzburg and go to Liverpool.
"Liverpool not in the best phase of their lives, it's not that we were flying all the time. He came in here when everything was difficult.
"We had no supporters in the stadium and all that stuff. Then you need to get used to the Premier League. That's how it is.
"It helped massively that he went to Southampton. He came back a completely different player. You can see that now. His finishes are really incredible, how he connects the game and drops at the right moment.
"He is a different package now and that was really helpful. Players need time and we just don't give them often enough. He used that time so that is good."
Klopp also spoke out about his side's improved defensive record this season, suggesting that while the returns of Joel Matip, Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk from injury have certainly benefited Liverpool, personnel has not actually made that much of a difference.
"Ali in moments (has made a difference). He makes brilliant saves," he said. "It's not that nobody has had a shot on target against us.
"As a unit we have defended so far pretty well. We said it before the season but nobody wanted to hear it, we have three new players without buying them with Joel, Joe and Virgil. We brought in Ibou (Konate).
"Against Crystal Palace we changed the last line completely. They had never played together before so it's not about that. You need to have a clear defending attitude. That's what we have and what we had last year as well. When you have that, the players you can rely on immediately in the last line and it looks good.
"But last year, for example, when Rhys and Nat played in the last line, we defended really well. It was just we needed time to adapt to that.
"This year we had time during the pre-season to work on it and that's what you see now. That doesn't mean we'll get to matchday 38 with still only one goal conceded but it means we are more stable in the moment.
"That's what we need to be to be successful. If you want to be successful you need to be consistent. If you are consistent, that means you have to defend well because you can't fly every day and score an awful lot of goals.
"You have to defend and to grind out results from time to time. That's what we've done so far and it's good but only the start."
