Football
Glenn Price, Liverpool correspondent 8y

Wijnaldum 'great signing for Liverpool' - former Newcastle boss McClaren

Liverpool have done some shrewd business bringing in Georginio Wijnaldum, two of his former Newcastle United coaches have revealed to ESPN FC.

The Dutch international completed his move from Newcastle on Friday for a reported fee of £25 million, penning a five-year deal with the Reds. Wijnaldum departed the North East after one season, where his 11 goals and five assists could not prevent Newcastle from relegation to the Championship.

The 25-year-old made a move to the Premier League in July 2015 from PSV Eindhoven for £14.5m, signing under then-manager Steve McClaren.

McClaren, who also played against Wijnaldum when managing FC Twente in the Eredivisie, believes the transfer will be good for both parties and says that the all-purposeful midfielder can fit anywhere into Jurgen Klopp's side.

"I think it's a fantastic move for him," McClaren told ESPN FC. "I know him really well from my Holland days when he was at PSV and I always kept my eye on him. I had an opportunity to buy him and I had no hesitation because on the field he can play in various positions, he works and can score goals -- a big asset.

"In Newcastle, he played in midfield, he played a No. 10, he played on right side and left side and he showed his versatility, which was needed. He was a big, big player.

"I used to watch him in Holland a lot when he was No. 10. He didn't adjust to that very well in England and he played in central midfield. He's got to find a best position. As he's getting older, he needs to establish a position.

"But it's a great signing by Liverpool because Liverpool play in that flexible way and [Klopp] wants players who have a high energy, can press, can deal with the ball, can take the ball in tight situations and, most of all, score and assist."

McClaren added: "He's fit, flexible and mobile. I remember one or two goals where he made unbelievable 80-yard sprints to get from one end into the other and in the box.

"He always arrives in the box at the right time and has that composure to be able to finish the move, which not a lot of players have. There's more to come -- he's just got to find the best position."

According to Paul Simpson, McClaren's assistant coach during his time at the helm of St. James' Park, the midfielder's leadership skills and attitude were a big reason as to why Newcastle were so keen to make him the most expensive signing of Mike Ashley's reign of the club.

"We could see he was a leader of the team -- the top man for PSV in their championship-winning season," Simpson said. "We just knew that we would get assists from him, goals from him and that was the sort of thing that stood out to us.

"We just thought he was a really creative player who could stand up and grab a game by the scruff of the neck and try and get wins for the team."

Simpson continued: "He can talk a glass eye to sleep when it comes to talking about football. He's someone who can recognise problems on the pitch. If he has the trust of players around him, then he can actually solve any little issues on the pitch. He can see if for himself and, if people are prepared to listen, I'm quite sure he do that for Liverpool.

"I'm sure the experience of Newcastle for a year would have stood him in good stead because, as a young player, he probably hasn't experienced playing in a poor, struggling side. He struggled a little bit with that and actually standing up to the challenge and being the one who then went and took it on.

"When he was right, he was a real standout player for us. A game in particular that you look at, the Liverpool game at home when he was outstanding and got a goal, he was that sort of player who could do that and I think going into a good Liverpool side, he will stand out even more."

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