Karius was plucked from Mainz 05 this summer having just
turned 23, and quickly took the No. 1 shirt. He made more than 90 appearances
for the upper mid-table Bundesliga side, but the early signs are mixed: he is
better with his distribution than his Belgian rival, Simon Mignolet, even if
combining the essential characteristics of a world-class goalkeeper – being an
excellent shot-stopper and commanding his area – have not been evident so far.
But he is too error-prone to be a commanding presence just yet.
Reina arrived at Anfield at a similar stage in his career –
aged 22, having made more than 100 appearances for Villarreal – and Liverpool
fans will be hoping that the German eventually makes an equal impression.
Reina, despite his acrimonious departure, is still a Kop hero to many,
having played nearly 400 times for Liverpool, most memorably when saving three
penalties against West Ham in the shoot-out that decided the 2006 FA Cup final. He
holds the Liverpool record for the most clean sheets (55) in his first 100
starts and he’s still going strong, now in his second spell at Napoli, which
leaves some fans wondering if he couldn’t do a job on Merseyside.
Karius’s unlucky early injury – a broken hand sustained in
pre-season – raises the spectre of another Liverpool goalkeeper, however: Chris
Kirkland, who signed for the club aged 20, the reported £6m fee making him the
most expensive English goalkeeper at the time. Injuries, and Jerzy Dudek ahead
of him, meant his Anfield career never reached the hoped-for heights.
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