In late 2019 when Red Bull Salzburg ventured to Anfield for the first Champions League away game in their history, all eyes were on one particular member of Jesse Marsch's side.
That was, of course, 19-year-old Norwegian forward Erling Haaland.
If at the start of the 2019/2020 season Haaland was just another unknown, unearthed prodigy on the European stage, by the time the season concluded some 11 months later he would be a name on every supporter's lips who had the privilege of witnessing his remarkable skill-set live in the flesh.
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However, there would be one expectation: those at Anfield on October 2, 2019.
As 54,000 supporters flocked to Anfield to give the Reds the ultimate homecoming in their first European home fixture since winning the Champions League at the end of the previous season, the vast majority left L4 and the surrounding area with Takumi Minamino's name at the centre of each and every post-match discussion.
Despite Jurgen Klopp's side successfully avenging their loss to Napoli weeks earlier, they were made to work for their maiden three points of the Champions League campaign as they just about edged Marsch's side in a seven-goal thriller.
Having found themselves 3-0 behind after 36 minutes, Salzburg fought back thanks to goals from Hwang Hee-chan and Haaland either side of a fine half-volley from Minamino. However, their efforts would fall in vain as Mohamed Salah restored the Reds' lead by scoring what proved to be the winner midway through the second half.
"Because of the specific history of Salzburg, they were not really bothered – there are teams that would maybe break down after 3-0 at Anfield," said Liverpool boss Klopp of his counterparts after the 4-3 victory. "But they weren’t, they were not really bothered."
But it would be that crisp connection in front of the travelling Austrians that would prompt the start of Minamino's unorthodox Anfield story, as Liverpool utilised their healthy relationship with the Red Bull group to swiftly and sneakily activate the attacking midfielder's £7.25m release clause in December of that year.
“This is fabulous news – a wonderful signing. We are really, really happy about this,” said Klopp at Minamino's unveiling. “Our supporters have had the chance to see him close up recently so I don’t need to sing too loudly about his qualities as they are already known.
“Takumi is a very quick, very clever player, he finds space between the lines. He is brave with the ball but also brave without the ball – a proper team player. He makes the best of himself for the benefit of others."
Klopp added: “His Champions League experience is a big bonus and coming from the club and organisation he does, we know he’ll be well coached, used to an elite environment and had all the right experiences.
“It is fantastic work by our football operations team in how they’ve handled this transfer. Michael Edwards and the team deserve a lot of credit."
Such had been the nature of the midfielder’s performances, both home and away, against Liverpool that those already on Klopp’s roster were urging the Reds manager to make a move for the slick midfield star who had earned plenty of admirers at Melwood, none the wiser that sporting director Michael Edwards was close to finalising a deal.
Sadly for Minamino, three years on from that European classic, his exhibition at Anfield for Salzburg on that historic, autumnal evening remains his best on Merseyside, despite making 55 appearances for Liverpool in the following two-and-a-half years afterwards.
Having cut ties with the club during the summer as he secured a £15.4million move to Ligue 1 outfit AS Monaco, the Japan international is still working to rediscover the form that saw him coveted by two of the Premier League’s biggest clubs, Liverpool and Manchester United.
But on Thursday afternoon Minamino has the chance to etch his name into the history books of his homeland as Japan bid to secure their place in the first knockout round of the Qatar World Cup.
After a stunning smash-and-grab victory over 2014 champions Germany in their opening fixture of the finals, in what was arguably the biggest result in the nation’s history, the Samurai Blue know victory against Spain would ensure their progression from Group E and into the round of 16.
However, Minamino’s difficult start to life in France, which has seen him notch just one goal in 14 appearances for Monaco, has led to him losing his starting place in Hajime Moriyasu’s side, with Celtic’s Daizen Maeda instead preferred in one of the two advanced positions.
But after emerging from the bench for last week’s game against Die Mannschaft, Minamino proved to be a handful as helped turn the tide in Japan’s favour. In fact, both Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano's strikes past Manuel Neuer took place while the former Liverpool man was on the pitch.
Having only participated in seven out of the 22 World Cups, Japan have never made it past the round of 16. It is a hurdle of the competition where they have fallen on three times previous occasions, with one of those endeavours coming when they co-hosted the finals back in 2002.
While 2022 proved to be a more promising year for the 27-year-old as he played an instrumental role in Liverpool’s FA Cup and League Cup double last season, with seven goals across both competitions, victory against Spain on Thursday would go some way to aiding Minamino in his bid to reach the heights he once looked so destined to reach.
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