Former Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet has explained the mentality that sets Alisson apart and how that left him “happy to be able to sit on the bench.”
Mignolet’s career at Liverpool is an interesting one, having arrived as their new No. 1 in 2013 before losing his place to Loris Karius, but ultimately outlasting him.
While Karius was left to rebuild his career out on loan after the 2018 Champions League final, Mignolet spent another campaign as part of Jurgen Klopp‘s squad.
However he did not do so as first choice again, instead remaining as backup to Liverpool’s new No. 1, Alisson.
“Alisson is an unbelievable goalkeeper,” Mignolet told Ben Foster for a recent episode of the Fozcast podcast.
“It was a pleasure to be able to work with him, to see his qualities and also I learned Spanish through him, so I have to thank him for that!”
During the interview, Mignolet recounted his decision to ultimately leave Liverpool in 2019, heading back to Belgium to join Club Brugge, where he remains six years on having made 273 appearances so far.
But more telling was the difference in how he spoke about warming the bench for Karius and later Alisson, admitting he was “happy to be able to” for a player of the Brazilian’s ability.
“When they signed Loris for five, six, seven million, something like this, you can compete with him,” he explained.
“I had the chance and I had the feeling that I was competing with him.
“I think looking back at it now and also how I see my career evolving, and what I did after that, I probably am the better goalkeeper than Loris.
“Now it’s not up to me to decide and especially not at that moment, but I think time showed that I was able to be competing with him.
“Afterwards when Ali got signed for £65 million from Roma, then I’m honest enough and I’m smart enough to know that he’s the better goalkeeper and it was very difficult to compete with him.
“I was actually happy to be able to sit on the bench for such a big club behind him, being able to go to the Champions League football and win that final.
“Because you learn a lot from him in his training, being able to work with him you can see, you can learn with your eyes, that was not an issue.
“One, I was never going to be a 60, 70 million-odd goalkeeper, and secondly not a Brazilian like he is. You accept it then and that’s not an issue at all.”
Alisson was an immediate success upon his arrival on Merseyside and he is still arguably the best goalkeeper in the world.
And continuing his praise for Liverpool’s No. 1, Mignolet pointed to his unflappable personality on and off the pitch as being key.
“He doesn’t give a fuck basically,” he said.
“With his feet, he takes a risk and it doesn’t matter, and also mentally he doesn’t care. You see that also with Ederson.
“Now for me, I’m a different kind of guy, and I think three or four times about certain things in life.
“They are not like this in their life and that’s probably good thing, especially when you play for a big club like Liverpool.
“You just don’t think about anything and if it goes good, it goes well, if it goes bad, OK let it be like this.
“If you’re standing like this in life it’s a lot easier, especially at this kind of club.
“Then also of course he was already from Brazil, playing in Italy, he already had some experience.
“And then when you get signed for £65 million, you also have a good armour.
“It’s a different scenario than when you sign from Sunderland to Liverpool and everybody puts a question mark behind your name than when you come from AS Roma for £65 million. You’re in a good position, let’s say it that way.”
