Jurgen Klopp hailed Takumi Minamino's performance in Liverpool's 2-1 FA Cup win over Norwich City as the winger's "best game" for the club.
Minamino scored both of Liverpool's goals before half-time to help the Reds into the quarter-finals of the competition for the first time since Klopp took over as manager in 2015.
Japan international Minamino has scored three goals in this season's FA Cup, to add to his tally of four goals in five games from Liverpool's triumphant EFL Cup campaign.
Klopp acknowledged the 27-year-old's importance to his side, telling ITV Sport: "Taki is an incredible player - a big part of it tonight was for sure the best game he had for us.
"He played a super game and was a constant threat, kept all the balls. I'm really happy for him.
"Without him we wouldn't be in the quarter-final, and we wouldn't have been in the final of the EFL Cup."
Norwich pulled a goal back through Lukas Rupp in the second half at Anfield, but could not prevent Liverpool from progressing in one of three competitions they are hoping to win in addition to the EFL Cup this season.
Veteran Reds midfielder James Milner echoed Klopp's sentiments regarding Minamino, describing him as a hugely popular character in the dressing room.
"He's a great guy," said Milner. "He's been patient. There's competition all over the field but every time he comes in he's ready and he delivers.
"He's such a nice guy you're delighted for him every time he scores.
"Every single day he's at that level. He's brilliant in training, great temperament no matter what's happening, you can rely on him.
"He keeps bagging important goals and I'm absolutely delighted for him to get those two."
I am full of energy – Jurgen Klopp says he does not need break from management
Jurgen Klopp insists he does not need a break from Premier League management following a disappointing campaign with Liverpool.
The Reds missed out on Champions League qualification after finishing outside the top four for the first time in a full season under the German.
Sunday’s thrilling 4-4 draw at relegated Southampton stretched Liverpool’s unbeaten top-flight run to 11 games but the late resurgence was not enough to make up for earlier poor results.
Klopp, the division’s longest-serving manager, maintains he is “full of energy” and ready to revive the club’s fortunes going into the summer.
Asked if he needs time off, the Reds boss replied: “No, no, no, not at all. Honestly, I’m completely fine.
“If you’d asked me 11 games ago, ‘do you want to have a break?’, I would have thought about it, to be honest.
“But I’m absolutely fine, full of energy.
“I have a break – I don’t have training and these kind of things. But a really busy period hopefully starts now in a different area of the game. I’m more than happy to do that.
“I will find time to reenergise and then we start again in July.”
Liverpool’s fifth-placed finish was their lowest since they finished eighth in 2015-16 – the season during which Klopp replaced Brendan Rodgers at Anfield.
The Reds looked destined to sign off this term in style following early strikes from Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino at St Mary’s.
But quick-fire second-half finishes from substitute Cody Gakpo and Jota were required to avoid a major shock after Kamaldeen Sulemana’s double and goals from James Ward-Prowse and Adam Armstrong turned a chaotic contest in Southampton’s favour.
Klopp believes his club has stuck together during some difficult moments and is determined that they regain a fear factor for rival sides.
“There is not a lot to learn (from the season) but a lot of clubs when the expectations are as high as ours when things don’t go well pretty quickly you start blaming each other,” he said. “That didn’t happen here.
“The better you behave in a crisis, the better you get out of it – and I really thought that was the case for us.
“We’re really, really not happy about it and for a club like us it’s massive not to qualify for the Champions League.
“If we improve, we are all of a sudden again a team nobody wants to play against and that’s what we have to become again.
“There were a lot of games in the season where I think teams were happy to face us. That’s actually the worst thing that can happen to you and I hated these moments. But that’s over and now let’s start again.”
Southampton are preparing for life in the Sky Bet Championship following an exhilarating end to a dismal season.
Saints manager Ruben Selles, who will leave the club and is likely be replaced by Swansea boss Russell Martin, conducted a performance review ahead of his departure.
“We discussed the points we can do better, the points we need to hold,” said the Spaniard.
“We needed to end in a professional way and that’s not a discussion because it’s not about us as a technical staff, it’s about Southampton and the information we can pass to the future people working here is key in not repeating the same mistakes.
“If they find themselves in the same situations that we did, at least they have this footage and experience of what we did.
“We did our review as a technical staff together. We got some conclusions for us and somebody will present it in the proper place to present it.
“It’s not for us to decide for the future but it is for us to say what we think can be different next season.”
Jamaica's young Reggae Girlz out of contention at U-20 Champs, after 0-4 loss to US
Jamaica’s wait to qualify for a FIFA Women’s Under-20 World Cup has been prolonged, as the young Reggae Girlz suffered a second-consecutive 0-4 defeat, this time at the hands of United States, at the Concacaf Under-20 Championships in Dominican Republic on Sunday.
A hat-trick from Madeline Dahlien (10th, 47th and 79th) and one from Tessa Dellarose (49th) saw the reigning seven-time champions to victory which secured them a semi-final berth along with Canada, who earlier registered a 5-0 win over Panama.
Both United States and Canada, are on six points each and will decide Group A winners in a top-of-the-table clash on Tuesday, while the Jamaicans and Panamanians are to meet in a contest of academic interest on the same day.
While it was a much-improved showing from the young Reggae Girlz in part, when compared to their 0-4 opening loss to Canada, they simply lacked the pedigree of their United States counterparts.
The Hugh Bradford-coached Girlz showed more heart defensively and did manage to show some semblance of individual flair when in possession, but again offered very little on the attacking front.
It took only 10 minutes for US to break the deadlock when Dahlien breached the backline and fired past Liya Brooks.
They continued to apply consistent pressure and found a few more openings but faulty shooting proved their undoing as they failed to hit the target.
That coupled with the fact that the young Reggae Girlz were more organized at the back, resulted in the score remaining 1-0 at the break.
However, the Girlz first half accomplishments quickly went out like a candle in the wind, as the US attackers went straight to work on the resumption. A weighted cross from Onyeka Gamero was expertly met by Dahlien beating Brooks to her left, two minutes in.
And before the Girlz could regroup, they found themselves further behind when Dellarose’s delightful left-footed strike from about 20-yards out, gave Brooks no chance at a save.
Brooks was better positioned to deny substitute Jill Flammia’s effort from just outside the 18-yard box in the 54th minute, as she got down well to her right to parry onto the upright.
But Dahlien eventually secured her third and a fourth for the US with another easy finish beyond Brooks.
US, Canada, Costa Rica and Mexico are set to contest the semi-finals.
The two finalists and third-place team will qualify for next year’s Under-20 World Cup.
Willian would like to extend Fulham stay but no decision made on Brazilian's future
Willian wants to stay put at Fulham, though a decision has yet to be made on the Brazilian's future at Craven Cottage.
The 34-year-old former Chelsea and Arsenal playmaker joined Fulham in September last year and has been a key player for Marco Silva's men this season.
Fulham signed off on an impressive first campaign back in the Premier League with a 2-1 defeat at Manchester United on Sunday, with Willian setting up Kenny Tete's opening goal.
That represented Willian's fifth league assist of the season, and his 10th direct goal contribution in the competition for Fulham.
Willian – who is soon to be out of contract – is unsure if he will be staying in west London, but he would be happy to do so.
"I don't know yet," he told Stats Perform. "Honestly, I have no idea what is going to happen. The future belongs to God.
"If I stay at Fulham, for sure I'll be fine, I'll be happy. I feel very good there, it's a club that welcomed me very well. But if it's somewhere else, I'll try to do my best in the same way.
"I haven't decided yet. We'll see what happens in the next few weeks, what I'll decide. But if I could stay in the Premier League and at Fulham, it would be a good thing for me."
Explaining why he elected to return to England with Fulham, who had been tipped to struggle yet managed to remain well clear of danger, Willian said: "I've always loved the Premier League. That's not news to anyone, everyone knows how much I'm a fan of the league here.
"The Premier League, for me, is the best league in the world.
"Deciding to go to Fulham was a matter of a week or so. I was already in London. I came here to be closer to here and to have some conversations with my manager. It was a matter of a week or so before I decided to go to Fulham.
"I had some talks with Marco Silva as well and I really liked what I talked to him about and what he told me."
Another new signing that has starred for the Cottagers this season is Joao Palhinha, who has impressed as a holding midfielder.
"He's our watchdog," Willian said of the in-demand Portugal international. "He's the watchdog of our team. Without a doubt, he's an important player.
"He's a player who does a fundamental job. As they say in football, he does the dirty work, which is the player who steals a lot of the balls and makes it possible for us to attack the opposition."
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