Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate has been rewarded for his strong end to the season with a first call-up to the France national team.
And it provides further proof of why the £36million transfer Jurgen Klopp green-lit for his services last summer could well prove something of a bargain. Konate has been drafted into the France squad by coach Didier Deschamps to replace Manchester United defender Raphael Varane, who has a thigh problem.
The 23-year-old centre-back will join up with the party this weekend in Split ahead of France's UEFA Nations League game against Croatia on Monday. Konate will also be available for the game in Austria on Friday and the reverse fixture against Croatia three days later in Paris.
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The Liverpool man had previously represented his country from under-16s through to the U21s for whom he won 13 caps, the most recent of which came in last year's UEFA European U21 Championship.
Konate had been earmarked by Liverpool before the transfer window opened last summer as the player to help ease the pressure on Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez, who were all poised to return from serious injury. Indeed, that his move from RB Leipzig was sealed mere days after the season finished highlighted the Reds' determination to get the deal done.
As with many Klopp signings - particularly in midfield and defence - Konate experienced a slow start to his Anfield career, restricted to just six Premier League outings before the New Year as he adjusted to both Klopp's methods and the unique demands of English football. Even then, he has made just a further five top-flight starts.
The cups, though, where were Konate began to truly find his feet. He was the only Liverpool player to feature in every minute of the FA Cup run that ended with victory over Chelsea in the final, and he made four outings in the League Cup and came off the bench at Wembley to net in the dramatic penalty shoot-out against the Londoners.
Europe, though, was where the defender make the biggest impact, starting eight of the last nine Champions League games - scoring in both legs of the quarter-final win over Benfica - and arguably Liverpool's man of the match in the final defeat to Real Madrid, the first time he had lost in 29 outings for the Reds.
Intriguingly, Konate started seven of the last nine games of the season, a pointer perhaps to the future and more opportunities next term, particularly in the Premier League. For now, though, the defender will be content in taking the next step in his blossoming career by stepping out for his country. It would be the fitting end to an encouraging season.
