Ozan Kabak Praises His ‘Childhood Club’ LFC

We got the dramatic, deadline day transfer. We got the training ground shots. We got the arms folded kit photos. We got the glowing praise from Klopp. Now it’s the time in the new player cycle when they sit down for an interview with the official website.

Ozan Kabak was effusive with his praise for the club.

“I feel so, so happy, and excited also. Such a great club like Liverpool. I want to show myself, I want to play. I’m looking forward to getting some minutes and some wins with this amazing club,” he began.

But the praise didn’t stop there, and Kabak said that Liverpool was, in fact, you guessed it, his childhood club.

“Liverpool was my childhood team. So I always wanted to come to this club, to play at this amazing stadium, in front of these amazing fans. So it’s a dream for me. Now the dream comes true.”

Try not think about the fact that, at only 20 years old, any ‘childhood’ memories of Liverpool aren’t of Robbie Fowler or John Barnes, but rather Luis Suarez and late stage Steven Gerrard.

Or, according to Kabak, “I watched ex-Liverpool players a lot of times, like [Steven] Gerrard and Sami Hyypia. I know there’s a lot of legendary players. I also watched the Champions League final in 2005. I was really impressed a lot of times watching these games. They’re my memories.”

It’s easy to believe that five-year-old Kabak was blown away by Liverpool’s historic, come-from-behind Champions League victory. Probably just as blown away as he was by his parents letting him stay up late to watch the penalty shoot out.

Anyway, time is a cruel and merciless mistress, and every day brings us closer to our inevitable demise.

What were we talking about? Oh yes, Kabak explained the story behind this picture of the German player holding a signed van Dijk shirt that he posted to Instagram a few years back.

“So I had a friend in Galatasaray, Omer Bayram – he’s a childhood friend with Virgil van Dijk from Holland,” Kabak explained. “So I was talking with him and I said something about Virgil van Dijk, he’s very good and I like him. He said, ‘He’s my childhood friend.’ I couldn’t believe it. Then the day after he brought his jersey to me and I was so happy. I put this jersey on my wall in my house. That’s the story.”

Early days yet, but it seems like Kabak might join the likes of Dejan Lovren, Martin Skrtel and Kolo Toure in the quirky center-back club.