Liverpool goalkeeping legend Ray Clemence has praised Simon Mignolet for the way in which he has turned his Reds career around.
Since returning to the side as a substitute for the injured Brad Jones, Liverpool have won seven of their nine Premier League games, with Mignolet keeping six clean sheets.
The Reds have also progressed to the quarter finals of the FA Cup, and head to Istanbul with a 1-0 advantage over Besiktas in the Europa League last 32.
And Clemence – who won five league titles and three European Cups during his spell as Liverpool’s number one – says Mignolet deserves praise for the way in which he has turned his form around having previously been dropped ‘indefinitley’ in December by Brendan Rodgers.
“Simon deserves great credit for how he has turned things around,” Clemence told the Liverpool Echo.
“He’s making vital saves and helping his team win matches.
“It just shows what a difference confidence makes. He had a tough time earlier in the season.
“After being left out he had the bonus of coming back into the team earlier than he would have expected after Brad Jones got injured. Since returning to the team he has got better and better.
“He hasn’t surprised me because I knew he had it in him. He had an exceptional season for Sunderland before Liverpool bought him.
“Earlier this season he endured a spell where things weren’t going right for him but he went away and worked on a few things. There are still a few areas I’m sure he’d like to improve on further but he’s having an excellent time of it and long may it continue.
“You can think too much about what you’re doing when things are going wrong for you. Negative thoughts lead to negative actions. Relaxing and playing on instinct always helps.
“I don’t think Simon’s character was ever in doubt. I remember reading an interview with him a couple of months ago when people were asking serious questions about him. He was asked if he felt he had to prove himself and his response was ‘I’ve got nothing to prove’. He’s shown great character to come back the way he has.
“The problem these days is too many people make snap judgements. Have a few bad games and everyone says you’re rubbish, play well for a short period and they talk about you cementing your place for years to come.
“At a club like Liverpool you are always playing for your place and you need to show consistency.”
