Image Credits: Imago Images
There are few things harder in football than rebuilding your confidence after a difficult spell.
Many players talk about hard work, but only a few actually change their habits.
The difference often shows when they move to a new club and suddenly look renewed.
You can always tell when an experienced player becomes a leader because younger teammates start to follow their example.
They trust him in tense moments.
They listen to him during games.
They mirror his commitment in training.
This usually comes from lessons learned the hard way.
A player may look back and realise he could have prepared better.
He might admit he did not push himself enough when things came easily.
That kind of reflection can change a career. And when that shift happens, it is clear. The performances improve.
The dressing room respects the work.
The league table reflects the impact.
That is the situation right now for a former Liverpool goalkeeper who is finding new life in Germany.
And the turning point, according to him, goes back to his time at Anfield.
Loris Karius is enjoying a strong season with Schalke, who sit second in the 2. Bundesliga and are pushing for promotion.
The former Liverpool goalkeeper has kept six clean sheets and conceded just 11 goals in 13 matches, and his teammates now see him as a leader.
Karius told Die Welt that leadership “depends primarily on my performance, of course,” but said he wants younger players to look to him for guidance.
“It’s important that I, as an experienced player, demonstrate the necessary commitment,” he explained.
He admitted that when he was younger, “things came easily to me back then.”
“Perhaps a conversation or two would have done me some good.”
When asked what he meant, he pointed to a key lesson he learned at Liverpool.
“I probably could have trained even more back then… Maybe you do a little less than you could,” he said.
Karius added that his time at Anfield reshaped his mindset.
“Especially during my time in Liverpool, I realised what professionalism means every single day.”
“The players structured their lives around success.”
“The weight room was packed before and after every training session.”
“That kind of thing is motivating.”
His revival now reflects that shift.
Liverpool fans will recognise the maturity.
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