Jurgen Klopp has claimed that criticisms of Alberto Moreno were ‘never fair’.
The Spain international had endured a difficult start to his Liverpool career after arriving from Sevilla in 2014, during Brendan Rodgers’ reign.
Moreno’s Anfield woes were exacerbated last season when he found himself behind James Milner, a midfielder by trade, in the left-back pecking order.
He had been expected to leave the Reds, with Napoli among those interested, but has proved his doubters wrong with a string of impressive performances.
But Klopp believes that Moreno has still been unfairly judged, with some fans still refusing to acknowledge his recent turnaround in fortunes.
He said: “The way people talk about Alberto Moreno – I hope it has settled a little bit – but it was never fair, that’s just how it is.
“If you see Alberto Moreno training, there’s nobody in the squad has a shadow of a doubt about him quality-wise.
“He’s an unbelievably strong player and he didn’t deliver all the time, that’s true.
“But at the beginning of the season he was so strong for us.”