Liverpool veteran James Milner is excited about Ibrahima Konate's future.

The £36million defender made his competitive debut for Liverpool in the 3-0 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday.

"He has been brilliant," Milner told the Liverpool Echo. "He's a great lad, a funny guy.

"He's very strong, as you can see. He's quick, good on the ball. I'm really impressed with him.

"It's not easy when you don't get into the team straight away. He would have been itching to get out there and play at Anfield.

"It was a very hard job for him at Anfield with me beside him! But on the plus side, Virg was on the other. He's a top class player, he's going to be a seriously good player for this team.

"Watching a few games on the sidelines hasn't done him any harm, he can see the intensity and get a feel for the crowd."