Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita has heaped praise on manager Jurgen Klopp, acknowledging that he has "improved a lot" while working under the German.
Keita joined up with Klopp's side in 2018 but has struggled to establish himself as a first-team regular yet, with a mixture of form and fitness limiting him to only 51 appearances across all competitions and just 20 Premier League starts.
The Guinea international conceded that injuries have stunted his progress somewhat, but believes that he has still learned a lot from Klopp during his two years at Anfield so far.
"Overall, he is a coach that gives you confidence and he is the motivating factor before a match, but you've also got to be motivated on the field. When you see him on the sideline and you're on the field, it's as if he's playing with you and that gives you a lot of desire to do better," Keita told the official Liverpool FC magazine.
"He's always there for his players, he's almost like a best friend but he's a coach who can communicate with all his players. When I arrived I had to try to settle in and be able to integrate with the team. I respect his choices, so I was there to work every day.
"He is somebody who is able to give you explanations on the field, and that helps a lot and when you play of course you don't ever doubt yourself. That's coaching and he sees everything. I think I have now improved a lot, apart from my injuries which have kept me out of several matches. He's somebody who communicates a lot and a coach who explains everything to all his players.
"He will always defend his players because for him all the players are the same. There is no difference to him. He's always there to explain things to you, such as if you haven't played the best in a game, which is hard for coaches to do.
"But that's a choice he has to make and it helps us fight harder on the training field to push hard so you can be playing at the weekend. He communicates with us all equally and that's what I really like about him. During training he will stop you and give you advice and explanations."
Keita has made only 18 appearances across all competitions this season, scoring three goals and assisting one.
