Takumi Minamino gave Liverpool fans a taste of things to come by setting a new ‘Volley Shot Challenge’ record on a Japanese TV gameshow.
The 24-year-old playmaker, who completed his £7.25million switch from Red Bull Salzburg earlier this week, is in contention to make his debut in Sunday’s FA Cup clash with Merseyside rivals Everton – which you can follow live on talkSPORT.
The Japan international impressed in both his appearances against the Reds in the Champions League this term, but his outing on Honoo-no Taiiku-kai TV has really upped excitement among fans of the Premier League leaders.
The show sees professional sports men and women take on challenges, often against the public, and has featured A-List sportspeople such as Ronda Rousey, Lionel Messi and Neymar in the past.
Minamino was tasked with volleying the ball at 15 targets in just 100 shots, and he needed to pass 13 to beat the previous best.
You can watch footage of him in action below…
And following a shaky start the Liverpool new-boy quickly began to knock down the targets with ease until just a couple were left.
And after keeping his nerve in a pulsating finale, Minamino recorded the first perfect score in the Volley Shot Challenge with just four seconds left on the clock.
Unsurprisingly, the audience in the studio went wild after he completed his clean sweep but the Anfield newcomer was more modest with an understated fist-pump.
Barcelona star Messi featured on the show doing a similar challenge with 20 targets, but he did not have to volley the ball and completed it with just seven seconds to spare.
Jurgen Klopp admitted his new midfielder could come into the side against Everton, saying earlier this week: “We are thinking about putting him in the squad.”
