One on One | "Don't put me in the middle!" Liverpool's Frimpong on finding freedom out wide!

0:01Juliette Ferrington:When you play FIFA, you pick Liverpool. You get it. You go on FIFA now. And it's you. Did you get it? I won everything in Celtic. I won everything in Liverpool. This is why I play football. Winning is the best feeling. As a footballer, personally, for me, that feeling is just so... It's indescribable. Like, ah, I've done it. You get it. You've got to believe. I feel like if you're a footballer, you have to believe. You don't just play football just to play. You believe that you can do things.

0:40Jeremie Frimpong:Hello and welcome to another one-on-one from Sky Sports. It's the podcast that sees us in conversation with some of the Premier League's brightest stars. I'm Juliet Farrington and on today's episode, we get to know Liverpool's versatile wide man, Jeremy Frimpong. Is he a right back? Is he a winger? He tells me he doesn't really mind where he plays, as long as he's not in the middle of the park. The Dutch-born player moved to England when he was seven years old, where he soon caught the eye of both the Manchester City and Liverpool academies. But ultimately, he chose Manchester City because it was closer to home.

1:16Jeremie Frimpong:Fast forward 15-odd years later, he moves to Celtic, wins the title. Then, Bayer Leverkusen, wins the title. And now he finds himself at Anfield after all. It really is funny how life turns out sometimes. We talk about that, his friendship with his club and national captain, Virgil van Dijk, and why he thinks the good times are just around the corner for Liverpool. He's a really good person to chat to, so I hope you enjoy this one-on-one with Jeremy Frimpong.

1:47Jeremie Frimpong:And he's on his own, he has a goal! That is hard to finish it! Jeremy Flimpong in style it puts the exclamation mark on it and now it truly is party time here in Leverkusen Jeremy thanks for joining us one of the things you said when you first signed for Liverpool was that it's a privilege to join this club what did you mean by that what do you believe in it being a privilege

2:21Juliette Ferrington:there's so many great players that have played for Liverpool you know as a kid you know you watch Steven, Steven Jarrod, Kenny Dahlish, Fernando Torres, Luis Suarez you know the list goes on you know I've played for Liverpool and then obviously now it's like you're here it's like oh it's crazy because you know I would have of course I knew I would I would play at the top with my ability I always had that self-confidence but like when it's when it actually hits you it's like oh I'm actually here you know so yeah that's what I meant about it's a privilege

3:03Jeremie Frimpong:because when you came here with with Leverkusen you kind of knew all about it you knew what you were facing but to be in it and involved in it and playing at anfield is it different

3:18Juliette Ferrington:yeah 100 i think like when you're actually in it it's like it's like a really um how can i say it's noisy on the outside isn't it yeah man but it's a really like like the feeling like i don't know how to explain like well you're playing for liverpool you know it's it's really it's really really nice you know it's every kid's dream do you get what I'm trying to say like when you play FIFA you pick Liverpool do you get it and like it used to be Fernando Torres and that team Jabri Alonso and this team do you get it and now it's actually like you go on FIFA now and it's you do you get it so yeah it's really a so real moment you know it's really nice so yeah

3:59Jeremie Frimpong:Frimpong Benson dangerous ball in a wicked ball in Cody Gakpo finishes it off and Liverpool surely now win it in stoppage time but also the fact that you could have been here at the academy we're at the AXA training centre right now the academy is based here that could have been you and you've talked about this pathway to get to where you are now but it didn't happen for you you chose not to come to the academy do you think if you had it could have been a bit different?

4:32Juliette Ferrington:Who knows? Who knows?

4:34Jeremie Frimpong:Because pathways take you in different directions. Yeah, exactly.

4:36Juliette Ferrington:So this, I couldn't tell you. I don't know how to answer this, you know. But yeah, of course, I had my reasons why I didn't.

4:43Jeremie Frimpong:Understandably.

4:44Juliette Ferrington:Why I didn't play for the academy. But yeah, who knows? If I did choose to play for the academy, I don't know.

4:51Jeremie Frimpong:Because I just wondered what that bus journey then was like. Because when you're young, I remember talking to Trent Alexander-Arnold about it. And obviously he was here, it's well documented. You were at Manchester City, but when you're young, it's an obsession, isn't it? It's an obsession to get to where you want to be as a footballer. It's eat, sleep, train, school, homework, on repeat, 24-7.

5:14Juliette Ferrington:Homework.

5:15Jeremie Frimpong:Homework. Did you ever do any homework? No.

5:18Juliette Ferrington:Hey, what? Hey, do your homework, guys.

5:20Jeremie Frimpong:But do you know what I mean? When you want to be a professional player, the work you have to put into it. yeah 100 % for me was literally just football literally just football like yeah I'll be in school I'm just thinking football when I go home football everything was just literally just football

5:39Juliette Ferrington:you know so like I really wanted to be a footballer and yeah I put the work in every day 100 %

5:46Jeremie Frimpong:and you talk about this pathway maybe when you when you want to be somewhere so much it's like you want to make it happen don't you yeah of course and i'm just i think i'm trying to get is the work you have to put in to make it happen not just to be a footballer no there's

6:04Juliette Ferrington:yes 100 you gotta put the work in you know because you're not the only one that wants to be a footballer you're not the only one that plays that wants to play for that team there are thousands of kids that want your position you understand so you're competing against everyone you get I'm trying to say so like when you join the academy you know competing against a guy that's playing your position you know who's the manager going to choose this that you know so yeah you gotta work this is but this is not just in football this is in everything you understand like it can be in basketball it can even be you as an interviewer there's someone that wants to do sky sports no no there's someone that wants to interview like be on sky sports you know so it's in everything you gotta work

6:49Jeremie Frimpong:and when you win something because you've won something in two different countries now does it change you what do you mean does it change you does it change you when you act when you go on to win something and then you you win something and you want that feeling again I guess and then when you win something somewhere else you want that feeling again yeah 100 100 like winning

7:11Juliette Ferrington:winning is the best feeling as a footballer personally for me like that feeling is just so like it's indescribable it's just like ah I've done it you get it

7:23Jeremie Frimpong:but you haven't just done it when you've just done it once have you because you want to do it again and again but this is

7:29Juliette Ferrington:what makes you an established player the consistency you understand so for me personally I want everything in Celtic I want everything in Leverkusen I want to win everything in Liverpool do you get it this is like why I play football I want to win all the competitions.

7:49Jeremie Frimpong:And were you watching that before you joined this club? Watching what was being lifted, what was being won, those moments?

7:59Juliette Ferrington:Yeah, of course. Liverpool's always been in top three in the world. They've always been in Champions League finals, Premier League contenders, a fake cup, whatever competition. Liverpool was always there.

8:15Jeremie Frimpong:you understand so yeah and what about you because people talk about positions that you play in you've said you start you're a side player which can cover a multitude of things right back right wing but i'm guessing just by your energy i'm watching you you can be anywhere on the pitch

8:36Juliette Ferrington:and enjoy it yeah i'll keep it like side you know don't put me in the middle i cannot play midfield But you can move in. Yeah, yeah, of course. But, yeah, like, I've played right back, right wing back, right wing. I always say to everyone that wherever I play, I play the same, you know. Of course, like, if I play right wing, I'm going to attack more. If I play right back, I'm going to defend more. Right wing back, you balance it. You know what I'm trying to say? But, yeah, like, just as long as I'm on the pitch, I'm going to give it my all and just help my team. I trust my own abilities and I know what I can do.

9:14Jeremie Frimpong:Do you enjoy that freedom?

9:17Juliette Ferrington:Yeah, 100%. I love playing on the side. This is where I'm comfortable. This is where I can use my abilities. This is where the space is as well for me. That's what I like. Clearly with the pace he's got, he's always going to be a threat. But he'll be proud of himself because he's had injuries this season. He's not a player who's been playing week in, week out. So he's finding his feet, he's finding his form. It was a big night for him tonight.

9:44Jeremie Frimpong:Can we talk about Virgil van Dijk? You're counting both international and here. What is it about him that gives him such a presence?

9:54Juliette Ferrington:He's just a great person, you know. Obviously, we all know Virgil. Virgil's a legend, you understand? So it's a privilege to play next to him, you know. But for me, I see him as a friend, you know. of course like for the outside like he's a legend but for me I see him as a friend and he's such a such such a nice person you know.

10:17Jeremie Frimpong:Is there any distance though in the sense not not distance as in between you two but the fact that he's captain both international and at club level but you see him as a friend can there be any distance at all?

10:29Juliette Ferrington:Yeah of course like when it's time to play football like like Virgil's a leader 100 % like Virgil has aura I think everyone knows that. Yeah, Virgil's like a leader. When he comes on the pitch, yeah, he's the captain. He motivates people, you know. But then like away from football, yeah, he's a friend. Do you get what I'm trying to say? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

10:51Jeremie Frimpong:What was he saying to you when you were going through that process of being at Liverpool, joining the club? Because he always said when he signed his contract, it was always Liverpool.

11:03Juliette Ferrington:Yeah, he said, when I first came, he was like, just cherish these moments, you know, he said Liverpool's a great club, the fans are going to love you, especially with your personality, you know and it's a winning club, you know, so like he said, cherish these moments, you know because you're going to get a lot of big moments, you know, this is what Liverpool do, you know, so yeah man, just nice, nice, nice words, man, before joining

11:29Jeremie Frimpong:And do you feel those big moments will come in 26?

11:31Juliette Ferrington:100 % man, you've got to believe you know I feel like if you're a footballer you have to believe you know you don't just play football just to play you believe that you can you can do things so yeah thank you for your time thank you thank you

11:45Jeremie Frimpong:he's definitely a relaxed guy that's for sure and you can see that in the way that he plays too he really doesn't mind what position he's in as long as he's out on the right where he has that freedom he talked about after a setback to his Liverpool career with injury are we starting to see the best from him and as we heard in that clip from Daniel Sturridge during the conversation. Frimpong's certainly been getting rave reviews in recent games and he scored in the FA Cup too. And who knows where that desire to keep winning could take him to next. And as he says, do your homework, kids.