Simon Mignolet vows not to accept being Liverpool No2 behind Loris Karius and urges Jurgen Klopp to make it a clean fight
Reds keeper hopes he's judged on current form in his battle with German after he impressed in EFL Cup v Spurs
SIMON MIGNOLET says he has no plans to accept being the No 2 keeper at Liverpool.
The Belgian has lost his place in Jurgen Klopp’s first team to new £4.7million German signing Loris Karius, 23.
So for now Mig plans to battle to win it back — but has urged the Kop chief to make it a clean fight.
He feels the two should be judged on current form rather than anything that has gone on in the past.
After starting in Tuesday’s 2-1 EFL Cup win over Spurs, Mignolet said: “I don’t want to be a No 2, that’s clear. I want to play. I will never give up fighting because, firstly, that’s not in my character to just give up.
“Secondly, because I am not in a situation where I can sit on the bench.
“I’m 28 years old and I want to play week in week out.
“So I’ll work hard. I see it as a challenge that I can overcome.
“And hopefully it will be a fair challenge based on performances put in on the pitch.”
Mignolet says it is not his style to go banging on the manager’s door, but plans to make sure Klopp finds it hard to leave him out.
He added: “I will always support the team and the club. That is why I am a Liverpool player and I am grateful for the support I get from the fans.
“The only thing I can then do is to play my best, work hard and keep my head down like I’ve always been doing.
“Then in the end you can’t complain that you have, how you say, ‘let yourself down’. Because that’s the only thing I don’t want to do.”
Mignolet, who joined from Sunderland in 2013 for £10m, said: “I want to keep my head up and be professional. I stay in the moment and see what happens today.
“The only thing I can then do is what I’ve done — my job to the best of my ability. Then hopefully I can get my chance again to show what I can do.
“I was happy with my performance against Tottenham.”
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MAMADOU SAKHO will look for a move away from Anfield in January after finally accepting he is not part of Klopp’s plans.
The French defender, 26, stayed at Liverpool in the summer when he had the chance to leave as he was determined to fight for his place.
But he has been banished to the Under-23 side in recent weeks and now sees there is no way back.
Sources close to Sakho say he acknowledges he is not going to win back the faith of the manager — and will eye an exit either on loan or permanently.
Sakho cost £18m from Paris Saint-Germain in 2013. But his career went into a tailspin after he was suspended for a failed drugs test last season — although he was later cleared.
An outburst on social media in September proved to be the final straw and there now looks to be no way back.
He turned down interest from Stoke and Besiktas in the summer, but is now looking at his options.