“Was at the top of his game”: Premier League star honours £220k/wk LFC star

West Ham United star Mohammed Kudus has singled out Spanish maestro Thiago Alcantara as the toughest adversary he has ever faced during his professional career.

This revelation stems from his encounter with Thiago in a highly competitive Champions League match between Liverpool and Ajax at Anfield Stadium in September 2022.

This match stands out in particular for the intense competition, ending 2-1 in favour of Liverpool.

The first goal of the game was netted by Mohamed Salah, in the 17th minute. However, Kudus quickly retaliated with a stunning equalizer, thundering a shot past Alisson Becker from an acute angle.

The game was decided by a Joel Matip header. Although the ball was seemingly cleared off the line, goal-line technology awarded the goal to the Reds.

Deep respect for Thiago shown by Mohammed Kudus

Kudus was asked to name the most challenging opponent he's faced in his career so far by JD Football and brought up this encounter with Liverpool.

He answered: "I’ll say Thiago Alcantara.

"Yeah, played against him in the Champions League against Liverpool [for Ajax].

"And, I think he was at the top of his game, it was difficult to get close to him."

In this game, Thiago demonstrated why he is considered one of the finest midfielders in the world.

Even though his passing accuracy was 87%, which by his elevated standards comes across as unimpressive, he managed to make his presence felt by providing one key pass.

Kudus praise indicates the level of reverence Thiago has earned among his peers.

Considered one of the rising stars of African football, Kudus himself has acquired a reputation for his technical skills and dynamic playing style.

So far this season, the Ghanaian has six goals and one assist, earning his fair share of praise for his cameos for West Ham this season so far.

Liverpool hope to have Thiago back in training soon although updates will need to wait until Klopp's Friday press conference which Anfield Central will cover in a dedicated liveblog.