Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was delighted with Takumi Minamino's first outing in a Liverpool shirt after making his debut against Everton in the FA Cup.
The £7.25 million signing from Red Bull Salzburg has handed his first start in a much-changed Reds side as Klopp chose to rest a number of his key players, including Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino.
It was a perfect afternoon for the Reds after a youthful Liverpool side overcame their Merseyside rivals thanks to a stunning strike from 18-year-old Curtis Jones.
Another positive for Liverpool on a near-perfect afternoon was the performance of debutant Minamino, who showed glimpses of his ability before being substituted in the second half.
And Klopp heaped praise on the 24-year-old for adapting so quickly to his new surroundings.
“He was super, outstanding, exactly the player we wanted, exactly the player we wished for," Klopp said.
“In your first game for a team you don't know, it’s not a settled team, it's already difficult. This team we threw together on the pitch with basically two sessions together, to show this sort of understanding, his football skills were exceptional and his attitude was outstanding.
“He led the chasing pack so often in. He didn't look tired, but we don’t know the player that well yet so we took him off, and it was a nice add-on to have [Alex] Oxlade-Chamberlain back.
“He looked pretty lively when he came on. He trained only for two days, that's why he didn't start.”
