InterviewJeremie Frimpong Q&A: 'I saw Liverpool's title celebrations – I want to be part of that'

The Netherlands international has agreed a move to the Premier League champions after four-and-a-half memorable years with Bayer Leverkusen in which he helped the Bundesliga side to a domestic double and unbeaten league campaign in 2023-24.

A versatile, right-sided player, Frimpong had previously spent more than a year with Celtic in Scotland, where he claimed winner’s medals in the Scottish Premiership and both domestic cups in 2020.

Now, as Arne Slot’s first recruit of the summer transfer window, the 24-year-old wants to keep the honours coming in with the Reds and be involved in the kinds of joyous scenes that have unfolded at the club in the past few weeks.

Read Frimpong’s official first interview with Liverpoolfc.com in full below…

Firstly Jeremie, welcome to Liverpool. Congratulations. How does it feel to be here?

Thank you, it’s a pleasure. I’m playing for Liverpool, what more can I say? My whole family is excited for me, and my girlfriend [is]. So, I’m happy, blessed.

I think it went quite easy. Liverpool came and said they had interest, and obviously for me it was a no-brainer. For me, it was like, ‘Whatever you guys do, just get this done’, [speaking to] my agents: ‘Just get this done.’ It went quite smoothly, there were no problems.

If there are any Liverpool fans who haven’t been watching much of Leverkusen over the last few years or scouring YouTube, describe yourself as a player…

I would say I’m very fast, explosive, up and down on the wing. Energetic. Yeah, I think I can bring a lot of energy to the team.

You’ve told the story in the past that you wanted to join Liverpool when you were a lot younger and it just didn’t quite come about at that time. Was it something that stuck in the back of your mind that the opportunity might come up one day?

Of course. You always want to play for the top teams as a footballer, as a kid. Of course when I was younger and Liverpool first came, that was a no-brainer as well, but due to transportation and all these sorts of things, I had to go a different way. And look at me now. So, it has worked really well.

You obviously know a few of the lads already from the Netherlands – Virgil, Ryan and Cody. Have you learned anything from them already about what you might be able to expect at Liverpool?

Yeah, of course. I have had a few conversations with them. Virgil has called me and told me a little bit more about Liverpool and the expectations, those types of things. And made me feel like the guys are going to welcome me well. That’s what I expect from Virgil with how he is in the national team – he’s a big character, captain. They have told me good things.

We saw you practising your Scouse a little bit a few months ago with a clip online. Did you see any of the reaction from Liverpool fans?

I didn’t know it was going to go that viral! For me, it was literally just, obviously Ryan plays for Liverpool and obviously Liverpool is Scouse, so I just did that. I didn’t think it was going to blow up like this. But yeah, it was funny, I appreciate the support.

You’ve experienced Anfield already because you were here with Leverkusen in November. The result didn’t go your team’s way that night but did it make an impression on you, the fans and atmosphere?

One hundred per cent. I think this is the best stadium I played in when I was with Leverkusen: the atmosphere, the fans, the team as well. The whole package is great.

Give us the outside perspective of the quality the team you came up against has…

Ah, you know already, I don’t need to say too much about the quality. They won the league. For me, playing against Liverpool when I was in Leverkusen, really difficult. Really, really difficult. How can I say it? Obviously Leverkusen were still good but you can see that Liverpool is next level.

You’ve had an interesting path through life, born in Amsterdam and you’re coming over here now from Germany. But you spent a long time in England. So presumably that’s going to make things a lot easier in terms of settling in, you know the language and the culture?

Yeah, exactly. Of course. I was born in Amsterdam but I was raised in England so of course I know the culture. I think I’m going to settle in well.

I saw you explain in an interview once after you went to Celtic that your brother had to give you a little push to get you out of your comfort zone. How have you changed over the last few years now you’ve won league titles in two countries and had an invincible Bundesliga season? Has your mindset changed?

One hundred per cent. I was immature back then, I was still a kid. I was just thinking about leaving my friends. That was more important to me at that point because obviously I grew up with them, went to school with them. So for me it was like, ‘Ah, I’m not going to see them now.’ All my brother gave me was a wake-up call. It was needed, 100 per cent, because I really did want to turn [back] that day. But then my brother was like, ‘OK, listen, it’s your chance now. You have to show them.’ And now I’m here. Of course that mindset has changed, 100 per cent.

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You’re obviously joining a team of winners, the new Premier League champions. Is your expectation that this winning can continue and you can add to that with Liverpool?

For me, everywhere I’ve been I’ve always won things. It’s always been the league, cups and the league, so I’ve always won trebles. So yes, I want to win trebles, I want to win trophies – I play football to win trophies. I want to win as many trophies as possible.

Have you had a chance to see any of the scenes over the last few weeks at Liverpool? Obviously winning the league, then getting the trophy and then the parade on Monday...

Of course I saw that. When that was happening I was on holiday, so obviously I saw it on social media. Amazing! I want to be part of that, 100 per cent.

Is it inspiring when you see things like that, coming in from the outside?

Of course. This is winners, this is why we play football – to make the fans happy. When you win, you celebrate with them. This is what the sport is about. I live for these moments. It’s the best feeling ever as a football player.

Have you had a chance to speak to Arne yet? And what has he said that he expects from you coming to Liverpool?

I spoke to the manager a few times. He sounds very positive. He says I can bring a lot of energy and my qualities, my speed. Especially when a manager is talking positively about you, it gives you very good confidence that he believes in you. I’ve had good conversations with him.

You probably knew him better than we did before he came to Liverpool with his time in the Eredivisie. How much are you looking forward to working with him? Is that something that excites you?

Yeah, 100 per cent. I’m really excited. Even when I was at [the] national team, some of the Feyenoord boys would tell me about him and be like, ‘He’s the best coach I’ve ever had.’ Things like this. So, I’ve always heard good things about the coach. Now he’s going to be my coach, so I’m excited for that.

And Mo Salah is going to be one of your teammates. He’s obviously had one of the great individual seasons this season…

Playing with world-class players as a footballer is a great feeling, it’s a privilege, like, ‘I’m going to be next to Mo Salah.’ Not just him, the whole Liverpool squad. Just Liverpool in general, this is a privilege, a blessing that I can be part of it. But I can’t wait to link up with him – hopefully we link up well. I’m excited for these things, 100 per cent.

You’re still only 24 but you’ve packed a lot in already, as we’ve touched on. But do you think there’s room for improvement? Do you see areas where you can get better while you’re at Liverpool?

Always. There’s never a day [that] goes past where I don’t think I can improve. I feel like improving is part of football. Never stay comfortable, never stay complacent. There’s always room to improve and to do more as well.

Looking forward, what would you like to achieve here? If we were sat here in five years’ time, what would you hope and love to have happened?

Look at my tablet and be like, ‘Yeah, I’ve won this trophy, this trophy, this trophy, this trophy.’ And then speak to my family and my friends and my teammates about it, ‘We’ve had a good five years.’ Yeah, things like that.

And just a final one, what’s your message to the fans? Liverpool fans will be very excited to see this when it comes out. What would you say to them now that you’re a Liverpool player?

Liverpool fans, I’m going to give my all, my energy, my work-rate and hopefully we can win together, we celebrate together, get everything together. I’m just excited to be here. Thank you guys for accepting me and I won’t let you guys down and I’ll give you the energy that you guys want.