Giorgi Mamardashvili opens up on reality of Liverpool role after latest Alisson injury

The back-up goalkeeper is enduring a frustrating first season at Anfield, but is clearly not allowing the lack of game time affect his morale or mindset, as he outlined in a recent interview

Giorgi Mamardashvili has said he knows that patience is needed to earn a first-team place at Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)

Giorgi Mamardashvili has opened up on his first season at Liverpool and, despite the frustration of playing second fiddle to Alisson, said he is confident his time will come.

The goalkeeper was Valencia’s first-choice stopper for three and a half years before he completed a €35 million (£30M/$41M) move to Liverpool last summer, nearly a year after the transfer was initially agreed. However, Mamardashvili has been limited to just 11 appearances in his first season at Anfield.

Mamardashivili knew he was set to play a back-up role to one of the Premier League’s all-time greats, but with Alisson now 33, and it still a possibility that he departs the Reds this summer, Liverpool’s back-up knows he will need to bide his time before earning the No. 1 jersey.

“It is never easy because there is just one goal,” Mamardashvili said during The Reds’ Roundtable, an interview conducted for internal club media alongside team-mates Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong.

“If I don’t play, I don’t mind. I have to work hard every day and that’s it. My time will come for sure. Maybe not this year but my time will come.”

Asked to expand on his current situation, Mamardashivili added: “My ex goalkeeper coach, Jose Manuel Ochotorena, when I was in Valencia, told me I have to find balance between ambition and patience, you know.

“So keep working hard and you never know when your chance is coming.

Giorgi Mamardashvili has been forced to assume a role as Alisson's deputy(Image: Getty Images)

“I signed for Liverpool almost two years ago and I had to wait last season until I came here,” he added. “It was a really long one year for me and now I’m happy to be here.”

However, Mamardashvili will not have to wait long for his next Liverpool appearance, which is likely to come in Tuesday’s Champions League trip to Galatasaray.

Ironically, just hours after that interview aired, Alisson was forced to miss the Reds’ flight to Turkey for the first leg of the last-16 tie after sustaining a hamstring injury in training.

Mamardashvili could be handed a rare start against Galatasaray(Image: Getty Images)

Therefore, Mamardashvili is expected to start just his second Liverpool game since November.

He previously enjoyed a run of 10 games across September to November when Alisson was also injured. In another strange coincidence, that came after Liverpool’s regular no.1 picked up a hamstring injury at Galatasaray.

Mamardashvili had mixed fortunes during his previous run in the team, which came during the Reds’ autumn downturn. Liverpool lost four of the five Premier League matches the Georgian played in.