So when the Guinea international finally stepped out at Anfield for his competitive debut, expectation weighed heavily on his shoulders.
Has Keita been worth the wait?
On this initial evidence, the answer is most certainly in the affirmative.
Having caused a stir with some early performances in pre-season, a neck injury had the welcome effect of shifting the spotlight away from the former RB Leipzig man. Here, though, he was centre stage. And how. This was the reason Jurgen Klopp was willing to sanction a £52.75million deal and then wait a year.
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