Harvey Elliott has hailed team-mate Ibrahima Konate for his strong showings at the World Cup in Qatar and made an admission about the man the Liverpool centre-back will have to help stop in he final, Lionel Messi.
Konate will be hoping to help France make it back-to-back world titles in Sunday's showpiece against Messi's Argentina after they beat Morocco 2-0 in the second semi-final on Wednesday. Having stepped in to replace Dayot Upamecano, Konate was one Les Bleus' star performers, as goals from Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani ensured their progression.
Elliott is watching the World Cup unfold from Liverpool's training camp in Dubai as Jurgen Klopp prepares the members of his squad who have not been in action in Qatar for the resumption of club football. And the midfielder said to Sky Sports: "'With Ibrahima [Konate] in the team and at the start of the tournament, I just wanted all the Liverpool lads to do well.
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''As he is the one left I am now rooting for France in all fairness and I just want him to do well, which is the most important thing. I watched a fair bit of it before it got a bit too late (the semi-final against Morocco). It's nothing new to what I know as he is an unbelievable player as well as an unbelievable guy. I was just really happy for him.''
With Messi and Argentina now standing in France's way of recording consecutive World Cup triumphs, the Liverpool youngster was also keen to praise the player many consider to be the greatest of all time (GOAT).
''I have been a massive Messi fan ever since I have grown up as a kid and I feel like he is the best player in the world at the moment as what he has been doing over the years,'' Elliott added.
''What he's been doing at the World Cup on the biggest stage of the world, to be able to do that at such an age it just justifies for myself why he is the GOAT and for me watching him at the World Cup has been a privilege.''
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