A former youth coach of new Liverpool signing Kostas Tsimikas has outlined the player’s journey from humble beginnings to a move to Anfield.
The Reds recently completed the signing of the left-back from Olympiacos, with the 24-year-old putting pen to paper on a five-year contract at Anfield.
Tsimikas began his career at Greek club Panserraikos, where he was coached by Andreas Pantziaras, who has shed light on the left-back’s early playing career.
Pantziaras has spoken about Tsimikas initially beginning his career as a winger, and has expressed his surprise over the 24-year-old’s rise to signing for Liverpool.
“He had an extreme nerve, ignoring danger all the way,” Pantziaras told Liverpoolfans.gr.
“I used him as a left winger, he had an extreme nerve really. If you take his face aside, you couldn’t believe this boy was 17 years old.
“Of course, you needed to add a good amount of elements in his game. He had even scored five goals in that season, he was a lad with great love for football in general, it was obvious.
“But I can’t believe that someone who watched a 16 year-old lad could possibly imagine that he could reach the team of the European champions!"
Tsimikas will work under Jurgen Klopp for the first time in his career, and Panserraikos says his former player is “living the dream” with his transfer to Anfield.
“I think he is living a dream right now,” Panserraikos added.
“He has three special motives in front of him: first, the coach, Jurgen Klopp, the best manager in the world right now, second, Liverpool, champions of Europe, and last one, Anfield, in my opinion the most historic football stadium of the world.
“He must make good use of every single second there, don’t let anything to pass by each day.
“His life is changing now, he owes much to his family, but I think that at the end of the day he owes everything to the work and sacrifices himself made all the way, as only he is to know how many difficulties he coped with in order to reach the top, the top he’s now, eventually, reached.”
