Ibrahima Konate says he was inspired by winning the trophy for “incredible” team-mate Mo Salah in the hope the striker can win the Ballon d'Or for the first time.
“Everything he's done since the start of the season, even since he's been playing for Liverpool – it's crazy what he's done,” laughed the Frenchman when asked about Salah's contribution to Liverpool's title challenge.
He praised the 32-year-old extremely well, and why not? According to conventional wisdom, Salah should be past his prime, looking towards the end of his days at the top of the game.
Instead, he is posting the best numbers of his career to lead the race for the Golden Boot since Erling Haaland, with goals every 57 minutes on average.
Much of his contribution speaks for itself, but not his support for his teammates behind closed doors.
That's what motivates Konate to return the favor, in line with his personal ambitions, and why he wants to help the striker surpass his previous Ballon d'Or best of fifth and lift the trophy next October.
He says: “I really hope we can achieve great things this season because if he continues like this I think he can win the Ballon d'Or at the end of the season.
“He'll never say that because I think his aim is just to win big things with Liverpool. He doesn't really think of himself as, 'OK, I want to score more goals, I want to have more assists' – he just wants to get match.
“He just wants to share his experience with new players, young players. And for me, it's amazing to be a player like that at his age and be so professional.”
Konate was impressed by Salah but knew the heights the forward could reach before joining him at Anfield from RB Leipzig in 2021. Before his arrival, he was not as familiar with the quality of defensive colleague Virgil van Dijk.
After three years of a growing relationship and his maturity as a great partner to the Dutchman, he believes the duo can not only rival Gabriel and William Saliba as the best centre-back pairing in the Premier League, but anyone in world football.
“What a defender,” he smiles again. “When I was in Leipzig and watched some Liverpool games, I didn't realize how good he was.
“And when I came here sometimes I would just think, no, how is that possible? He's too good. When I first came here, he gave me a lot of advice and helped me adapt.
“Now on the field, as much as I need him, I think it's the same for him and me. We just work together and try to be the best partnership in the world.
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Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says he hopes Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk will stay at Liverpool amid contract talks and take them to Red Bull
“Some strikers see Virgil and just say 'okay, now I have no chance against him'. They don't give 100 per cent.”
That chemistry has been helped by the approach Arne Slott has taken at Anfield since succeeding Jurgen Klopp, with the likeable manager's balance being hailed as the best in world football by his predecessor earlier this week.
Konate is not afraid to compare them and thinks the measure of control Slott has brought after nine years of 'heavy metal' football under the Klopp dynasty has improved the side. The numbers would suggest that; Liverpool have a stronger defense than in three of the previous four seasons.
He says: “(Trent Alexander-Arnold) helps a lot when we attack, which leaves me a lot of space to defend. But as the manager explained to us that we all defend together, it helped me and the team a lot.
“If you can see and compare to last season or the season before, we were more exposed. But now when we lose the ball, everyone tries to help the team and I think we are more together.
“No one expected the manager to do what he has done since the beginning of the season. He has a great idea to play, he knows what he needs to do and it's not about adapting to another team. I think this makes a big difference for us compared to Jurgen.”