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Shock Absorber: Ozan Kabak is Liverpool's new hope

Klopp's best friend defines him as one of the best youngsters in the world, and the 20-year-old Turkish stopper will try to prove that he did not come to Anfield just to cover holes.

Just two years after he was excited to receive a signed shirt by Virgil Van Dyke, he is suddenly set to step into his shoes

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• Liverpool

• Ozan Kabak

Michael Yochin

Thursday, 04 March 2021, 14:00

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Ozan Kabak does not remember all the details of the 2005 Champions League final, but the excitement remains with him forever.

He was barely five years old, it was the first significant game he watched on TV, and it took place in Istanbul.

The whole country talked about the battle between Milan and Liverpool even before the opening whistle, and the match itself provided breathtaking drama.

It was the day that little Ozan faced the wonders of football.

Not insignificantly, this is the day that defined his life.

So when he signed for Liverpool a month ago, it was natural for him to tell the official website about his admiration for that comeback on the way to a 3-3 win and penalties.

"Liverpool are my childhood team, and I always wanted to say here," the Turkish stopper declared.

More on Walla!

Tonight: Klopp vs. Tuchel, Liverpool vs. Chelsea (22:15, Sport2)

To the full article

The moment Kabak fell in love with Liverpool?

(Photo: GettyImages)

Childhood Dream - Old Trafford

The truth is a little different.

In an interview he gave in 2017 in his homeland after his exciting performance at the European Under-17 Championships, in which Turkey qualified for the semi-finals, Kabak stated: "I have a special fondness for Manchester United. With him an action at Old Trafford. "

Well, Babakan - a talented midfielder by all accounts - has yet to make his debut in the Glatsray uniform, gaining experience this season in Adanaspur from the second Turkish league, while Kabak has actually arrived at Anfield.

So not everything goes according to the original plans, but there is no doubt that Kabak's ambitions have already changed in 2018, thanks to the signing of Virgil Van Dyke.

The Dutchman was dominant and powerful at Liverpool immediately after his arrival from Southampton, and thus soon became a role model for the young Turkish stopper, who until then had mostly admired Sergio Ramos.

Then landed on Glatsray Omar Bayram, Virgil's closest childhood friend.

They grew up together in the city of Breda, played street football, and Van Dyke was very fond of the Turkish food prepared by Byram's mother.

Of course Omar did not miss an opportunity to tell everyone about it, and Kabak was happy to hear.

He wondered if it was possible to arrange Virgil's red shirt for him - and she did arrive, and with a personal dedication.

Imagine how the 18-year-old felt at that moment.

It is very likely that the old fondness for the Red Devils has dissipated, and Liverpool have taken their place as the favorite team in the Premier League.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ozan Kabak (@ ozankabak4)

Son of a prison commander

Kabak had no idea that he would only come to Van Dyke's club two years later to fill his place while the idol was injured, but the challenge of getting as high as possible was certainly there.

After all, he was marked as one of the greatest promises of Turkish football, and the expectations from him were enormous.

Even when he was 11, he was attached to Glatsray's Children's Department, even though his father worked as a prison commander far from Istanbul.

"If you can not drive him every day, bring him once every two weeks. It does not matter - the main thing is to have us," the academics asked.

The possibility of moving to live in the capital on boarding school conditions was also raised, but Ozan refused because he wanted to complete his studies at the School of Science.

"It just made it clear to us how special he is," boys coach Nadim Eight said in retrospect.

It also took time to find the right slot for him.

Kabak started as a striker, shifted to a right defender to take advantage of his speed, and was eventually transferred to the center of defense.

As a brake he became a leader not only in the youth of Glatsray but also in the youth teams, and a fresh opener did not hesitate to throw him into the deep water in the fall of 2018, when the team was hit by an injury plague.

Scouts, who have known him since the European Championships, flocked to follow his performance, and Stuttgart paid 11 million euros to bring him to the Bundesliga as early as January 2019.

Very impressive despite the crash of his team.

Kabak in Stuttgart (Photo: GettyImages)

Refused to join Bayern and Juventus

This scenario was rather strange, as the team itself sank to the bottom with a perforated defense, and eventually went down, but Kabak himself impressed in 15 games despite the dismal overall situation - and excelled so much that Bayern Munich submitted an offer to sign him.

And maybe that was tempting, but the considered and calculated Kabak did not want to sit on the bench at the Allianz Arena.

The goal was to play on a weekly basis, so even Juventus were not yet relevant.

The Turk preferred Schalke, where sporting director Michael Rashka brought him - exactly the man who also spotted him for Stuttgart.

On paper, it's a great match.

Kabak was given a place of honor in the squad in a large team with a huge crowd whose stated goal was to qualify for the Champions League.

The first round was indeed fantastic in every way, but then everything fell apart, and the Blues' only league victory in 2020 was achieved in January.

The monstrous crisis also affected the Turk, and the low came in September when he was suspended from five games for spitting at an opposing player in a game against Berman.

Ozan apologized and claimed it was an accidental mistake, however the direction was clear.

He was on his way to experiencing a second drop in three seasons.

Self-confidence is impaired, in part because of a sense that bad luck is haunting him.

Liverpool's offer saved him at just the right time.

Realized that there is real potential here.

Jürgen Klopp (Photo: Reuters)

"Potential to captain Liverpool"

Kabak was not the first option for Jurgen Klopp who lost almost all the brakes due to injuries, but he was definitely on the list long ago because the recommendations flowed from all directions.

First, David Wanger, who coached the Turkishman at Schalke, described him as "one of the best young players in the world."

This is Kloppo's closest friend, and his words are worth gold.

The consultations led to an unequivocal conclusion.

"He has a strong character and potential to become Liverpool captain in the future," Wagner said.

Second, Klopp also spoke at length with Christian Heidel, the former Schalke sporting director, whom he knows well from the joint period in Mainz.

Heidel also stated that Kabak would be successful in England and mature for a team like Liverpool.

Third, it was Sven Mislintat, Stuttgart's sporting director who was once Dortmund's chief scout and Klopp's secret agent.

"He has a great mentality, he is aggressive, and has a fine head game both defensively and offensively," Mislintat claimed.

All the opinions were positive, and Liverpool realized that there was real potential here.

Despite this, negotiations with Schalke were not trivial, and the Germans initially demanded 25 million euros.

At one point, it was Kabak's contacts with Milan that went into high gear, and he spoke in person with Paolo Maldini.

But then, as in the final in 2005, Liverpool made a comeback and beat Rossoneri on penalties.

The Turk has stated he wants to play for Van Dyke's side, and Schalke, who have come under time pressure, have agreed on the verge of closing the transfer window to compromise on everything.

She transferred Ozan to Anfield on loan for just one million euros, with the Reds having the option to purchase his ticket in the summer for an additional 18 million, without any commitment.

If you will, they got him to try out at a bargain price.

It is difficult to think of better conditions.

Still unstable.

Kabak in Liverpool (Photo: Reuters)

Klopp is supportive despite the difficult opening

As far as the 20-year-old is concerned, settling in the new country is not trivial.

Van Dyke gives him a lot of tips, but can not help on the grass, and in fact there is no experienced player to help him during the games.

The debut against Leicester started well, but ended in a fiasco, including Kabak's involvement in a move that led to goalkeeper Allison's absurd mistake, en route to a 3-1 loss.

In his second game he demonstrated good ability in 0: 2 against Leipzig in the Champions League, but then came the derby against Everton, and Richardson made it to school and won 0: 2.

And if that's not enough, then Kabak - who usually has a reasonable disciplinary record - has received yellow cards in all the first three games in the new uniform.

Only in the last round, in 0: 2 against Sheffield United, did he avoid getting a ticket.

So there is no stability yet, but Klopp knows how to support young players, and he makes sure to praise Kabak for positive actions in order to get him back on track.

Liverpool really want to believe that Virgil's big fan may one day become his ultimate successor.

The coming weeks will be very important for his integration, and also for the chances of qualifying for the Champions League.

The prestigious encounter against Chelsea tonight is particularly critical in this regard, and Kabak gets a chance to prove himself on the big stage, with Klopp facing off against Thomas Tuchel.

Will a representative from Elka decide the battle between two former Dortmund coaches?

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