Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola has been speaking ahead of the Premier League clash against Fulham at Anfield on Saturday afternoon
Andoni Iraola pictures at his Liverpool press conference to preview the home game against Fulham
Andoni Iraola pictures at his Liverpool press conference to preview the home game against Fulham
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Andoni Iraola has revealed it took him less than a week to decide Lewis Koumas would be part of his Liverpool first-team squad as he praised the impact of the young Welsh forward.
Koumas made his Champions League debut in midweek when he came off the bench for the closing moments of the 2-1 home victory over Atletico Madrid.
It came after the 20-year-old was given a Premier League bow when emerging as a 78th-minute substitute at Newcastle United on the opening weekend before a brief cameo in last Friday's 2-0 win at Ipswich Town.
Koumas, who graduated from the Academy at Kirkby, had previously made just one Liverpool appearance when scoring in an FA Cup triumph over Southampton in February 2024, which came just days after being in the matchday squad for the League Cup final victory over Chelsea.
The Wales international subsequently had loan spells at Championship sides Stoke City, Birmingham City and Hull City and was expected to make another temporary transfer this season before Iraola opted to keep him at Anfield.
"For me, Koumas, the first week I was here I told the club that he was staying for all the season," said the Liverpool head coach.
"I had very few doubts because he's someone who covers us on the number seven, number nine, number 10 and number 11. He trains very well, good attitude, good player, scores goals.
"He needs to add more things obviously like every young player but he already has a good amount of experience playing in the Championship at a high level. I see him as ready to help us. I like what he gives us.
"Whether it's Newcastle away when we were losing or Atletico the other night when we were winning, he helped us and I'm very happy to have him."
Asked about the mentality of Koumas, Iraola added: "He's very clear about what he needs to do to help the team.
"Sometimes that's going to be on the ball, sometimes it's going to be without the ball, sometimes it's about attacking the spaces for someone else to receive the ball.
"He understands that and when you have someone with this mentality, it's good for the team."
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Koumas is likely to again be on the bench for Saturday's Premier League visit of Fulham with doubts continuing over the fitness of Cody Gakpo, who missed the game against Atletico through injury.
On-loan defender Ronald Araujo was among Liverpool's stellar performers on Wednesday, not least when providing a clever backheel assist for Dominik Szoboszlai's equaliser.
And Iraola believes the Uruguayan has benefited from a change of scenery having spent the best part of a decade at Barcelona.
"Ronald is used to playing big games, playing in the Champions League, fighting for titles and playing for a big club," said the Reds boss.
"For him the bigger challenge is the language, he doesn't speak English. But he has good help inside the changing room.
"This change has helped him mentally a lot. He had a lot of years at Barca and needed this kind of change.
"It helps that performance-wise he has been playing very well. It's difficult to come into the game as a centre-back from the bench but did a good job against Newcastle and (Nottingham) Forest.
"When he's had a position to start in maybe not his main position, he has done well."