The moment the Liverpool team first saw the player, they begged Klopp to sign immediately.

The start of a new Champions League campaign is always an exciting time for footballers and fans alike.

The promise of adventure on and off the field as fall turns to winter, the iconic tune of the track before the kick, the chance to see exotic foreign stars away from the drudgery of league action, and of course , the perspective, however thin it may seem. seasons – of glory and covered the following spring.

Today a year ago, Liverpool began their European campaign at home for another season, having been surprisingly defeated at Napoli two weeks earlier in the first group match, as Champions League champions, having opened an advantage. five points over Manchester City at the top. of the Premier League.

However, it says a lot about the mentality this Liverpool team goes through that despite their relentless winning streak which, in addition to winning the club’s sixth European Cup, had seen them record the highest score, 97, not to win. a title of the highest category. Last May, the players themselves were still conscious and looking for opportunities to become even stronger.

The new guys in the Champions League, RB Salzburg, were the visitors to Anfield and were expected to be slaughtered lambs as the Austrians finally reached the group stage for the first time after eleven failed attempts due to extra place. available through the Reds, as starters. , having also classified by its position in the league.

And for most of the first half, that’s exactly how things played out.

Sadio Mane opened the scoring in the 9th minute before Andy Robertson doubled the lead just past the midpoint of the half after a link with teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold.

When Mo Salah added a third nine minutes before halftime, it looked like the three points Liverpool were yearning for after the blank opening day in Naples were safe in the bag and thoughts could start to turn to the big Premier clash. League of the weekend with Leicester City at Anfield.

But that didn’t count on the impressive spirit and talent within the Salzburg squad that would soon have some of Europe’s biggest teams, including Liverpool, knocking on their door.

Six minutes before the break, Hwang Hee-chan scored a goal for the visitors and within nine minutes of the second Takumi Minamino, who had already attracted admiring looks and words from the Anfield crowd due to his clever movement and passing, reduced the deficit. just one goal with a controlled volley from the edge of the area.

Salzburg forward Erling Braut Håland, the son of former Leeds United midfielder Alf Inge Håland, had already drawn attention and headlines after scoring a hat-trick in the first match of the Salzburg group stage, a win by 6-2 to Genk, and only having been named to the bench due to illness, entered the fray in the wake of Minamino’s attack.

Just four minutes later, Minamino stepped back behind the Reds defense and crossed for Håland, unmarked, to score the tying goal, leaving Anfield’s full house shocked and baffled by how such a seemingly dominant lead had been lost. .

Despite the shock, this Liverpool team once again demonstrated their propensity to solve any challenge that came their way and in nine minutes they were back in front after Salah added his second after a good job from Fabinho and Firmino.

That was enough to secure the victory Liverpool needed, but much of the conversation in the pubs around Anfield afterward was about Salzburg’s impressive performance and, in particular, about the young Japanese schemer who had scored second from the Austrian and had achieved the tie.

The second leg in Austria was the last group game in December and came with Liverpool needing a point to qualify for the round of 16 after drawing their penultimate group game with Napoli at Anfield.

Salzburg himself had a chance to qualify at the Reds’ expense if they could win and again showed their fearless nature, after all this was a team that had scored 87 goals in their last 24 matches, taking the game over to Liverpool in a first half. when they had the reigning champions of Europe on the ropes sometimes.

Liverpool’s stamina saw them pass with two goals in as many minutes just before time from Naby Keita and a sublime close-angle finish from Mo Salah that led Klopp’s men to the round of 16.

It was once again clear that the talented young Salzburg team could be ready for the selection of Europe’s greats and Liverpool attacked within 48 hours, triggering the £ 7.25 million release clause in Minamino’s contract for him to reach. Anfield a few weeks later when the January transfer window opened.

It also emerged that at Melwood, upon his return from securing a place in the knockout stages, there was one thing on the minds of a lot of Liverpool players: recruiting Minamino.

In fact, high-level stars had urged their coach to recruit the man who had terrified them during the two games against the Austrians.

Unbeknownst to the Liverpool stars who returned to training ground speaking to the 24-year-old, the Japanese star had been on Liverpool’s radar for a long time.

Minamino has been under Liverpool’s watchful eye since 2013, when the right winger was practicing his trade for Cerezo Osaka in his native Japan.

Jurgen Klopp, who was managing Borussia Dortmund at the time, also took note of the teenager who arrived in Salzburg for the 2014/15 campaign.

Michael Edwards and his recruiting team were aware of the release clause of the Minamino deal and this allowed Liverpool to overtake rivals Manchester United in the race to secure the player’s signature.

‘Taki’ arrived at Anfield in January, making his debut for Liverpool in a 1-0 FA Cup third round win over Everton of Merseyside and, after taking time to recover, scored his first Reds goal. in the Community Shield against Arsenal. at Wembley in August and it looks like he will play an increasingly important role this season as his acclimatization to English football progresses.

But the first seeds of his Liverpool career were sown on a dramatic Champions League night at Anfield and his teammates are happy that he is now on their side instead of plotting against them.