Joining a football team must be like the first day of school.
You spend your time sizing people up, getting a sense of who shares a sense of humour with you and buddying up to the guy you know would have your back if shit ever went down.
While there’s probably an awful lot less weeping with the likes of Georginio Wijnaldum than there is for five-year-old schoolkids, the first day is always going to be a nervy affair.
Delighted to have signed for @LFC . Can't wait to see you on Anfield #YNWA 🔴 pic.twitter.com/2yGHsuJarQ
— Gini Wijnaldum (@GWijnaldum) July 22, 2016
But, by the sounds of it, Wijnaldum has already found his clique in the Liverpool dressing room, having signed for the Reds last week.
The Dutchman has admitted that he’s found it easier to speak to Dutch-speaking Divock Origi, while he’s also grown close to Christian Benteke and fellow new signing Sadio Mane.
“I try to speak with everybody to get to know people better,” Wijnaldum said, via the Liverpool Echo. “But Divock can also speak Dutch, so it’s easier for me to communicate with him.
“I’ve been speaking a lot with him and also Christian Benteke and Sadio Mane.”
Wijnaldum has also opened up on how he’s adapted to the philosophy of new manager Jurgen Klopp, who famously sets his sides up to pressure at all times and requires a high level of fitness and energy.
“Every trainer has his own training style, so Jürgen Klopp has his own style. But it’s quite similar to some of the training I used to do in Holland because you play a lot of football,” Wijnaldum said.
“He will come and speak with me to ask me how I feel. He’s said if I need something, I can ask him. I feel at ease.
“He speaks to everyone, tries to help everyone and make everything clear. In training, if he sees that I have to do something different, he will stop and tell me ‘you have to do it like this… you need to be aware of this and that…’. In those situations, he’s also helping me.”
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