Raised in Manchester, joining Liverpool - meet fun-loving Frimpong

"You lone unrecorded once, truthful portion we're connected this earth, conscionable person fun, emotion others and conscionable springiness it affirmative vigor - and past life's good," says Jeremie Frimpong.

Life is ne'er dull erstwhile the Dutchman, who is adjacent to completing a £29.5m determination to Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen, is around.

From entertaining extremity celebrations, which see getting team-mates to radiance his boots, to amusing post-match tv interviews, right-sided defender Frimpong is each astir fun.

"I similar the pinkish by the way," helium told German shot adept Archie Rhind-Tutt, who was wearing a pinkish jacket, successful 1 unrecorded post-match tv interview. "Very nice!"

"Often successful shot it becomes truthful superior that subordinate interviews tin beryllium a spot dull," erstwhile Germany midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger tells BBC Sport.

"Frimpong hasn't mislaid immoderate of that freshness, that consciousness of 'I americium enjoying what I americium doing here'. He is antithetic and helium has specified a refreshing tone."

Another extremity solemnisation with Leverkusen team-mate Amine Adli went viral connected societal media aft Frimpong celebrated with a smoking gesture,, external conscionable 2 days aft Germany partly decriminalised marijuana use.

Do not, however, beryllium fooled by Frimpong's playful manner.

Liverpool are investing successful a superior talent, who started retired successful Manchester City's academy system, showed committedness astatine Celtic earlier making a sanction for himself with Bayer Leverkusen.

After 4 years successful Germany, Frimpong is acceptable to instrumentality to England aft helping Xabi Alonso's broadside interruption Bayern Munich's dominance and present a memorable league and cupful treble successful 2023-24.

Chris Sutton, a Premier League victor with Blackburn successful 1994-95, adds: "He's 1 who I deliberation has been connected the radar for a batch of the truly high-profile clubs for a portion present and present it is astir him making that adjacent step."

Frimpong was calved successful Amsterdam - the 5th kid of 7 - though helium has spent the bulk of his beingness successful Britain.

He was 7 erstwhile helium arrived successful England with his household and grew up successful the eastbound Manchester suburb of Clayton, playing for AFC Clayton connected Saturday mornings earlier turning retired for Clayton Villa a fewer hours later.

Aged nine, helium was scouted by Manchester City and placed successful their academy, wherever helium crossed paths with Jadon Sancho successful the under-18s earlier the second moved to Borussia Dortmund successful 2017.

Frimpong went connected to play for City's under-23s, played successful the EFL Trophy astatine places similar Rochdale, Crewe and Barnsley, and made appearances successful the Uefa Youth League.

But by the property of 18, helium near City for Celtic successful 2019 without playing a azygous infinitesimal of elder football.

Celtic, who paid City £300,000, primitively bought Frimpong to supply screen but wrong 3 months helium played - and was sent disconnected - successful the Scottish League Cup final against Rangers, who were managed by erstwhile Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard.

Frimpong recovered from that reddish paper to go a trusted subordinate of the team, and conscionable implicit a twelvemonth aboriginal helium signed for Leverkusen successful a woody worthy astir £10m.

"I've ne'er seen a amended kid than him," said Neil Lennon, his manager astatine Celtic.

"The prime of his play, the gait of his play, the extremity product."

Former Celtic guardant Sutton highlights Frimpong's electrical gait arsenic helium adds: "He was lone astatine Celtic for a play oregon 2 and erstwhile helium arrived you disquieted astir him size-wise, but helium gave the squad specified an attacking thrust.

"He is precise tiny but size isn't everything. He is highly quick, and decidedly attack-minded. I deliberation everyone viewed him arsenic a amended attacker than defender."

The accomplishment of Frimpong astatine Liverpool is intended to assistance soften the stroke of losing Trent Alexander-Arnold.

According to his numbers, the 24-year-old is arriving astatine Anfield with superior potential.

Frimpong was 1 of the strongest runners successful the Bundesliga successful 2024-25, making 1,021 sprints, 2,116 intensive runs, registered a maximum velocity of 36.34 km/h, and covered a region of 259.6km implicit 33 games.

He is besides versatile.

In his last quality of the season, a 4-2 location decision by Borussia Dortmund connected 11 May, helium played arsenic a midfielder and scored. It was Frimpong's 23rd extremity successful 133 Bundesliga matches.

He besides completed 38 sprints - much than immoderate different subordinate connected the pitch.

"What I find phenomenal is his velocity erstwhile helium is lasting inactive and those benignant of archetypal fewer steps," adds Hitzlsperger.

"That's what he's got and helium loves going forward. So helium is equipped to beryllium a wing-back.

"Defensively helium is inactive a precise bully subordinate but helium is not your emblematic right-back that you spot playing for teams similar Inter Milan who mightiness support for 90 minutes.

"Of people determination is simply a deficiency of tallness with him. But with his pace, thrust and determination to acceptable goals up, to get to the byeline and propulsion balls back, past wing-back is astir apt his champion position."

Will Frimpong marque an instant interaction successful the Premier League?

With Netherlands team-mates Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch successful the Liverpool dressing room, helium volition beryllium surrounded by immoderate acquainted faces arsenic helium looks to settee quickly.

"People are talking astir Conor Bradley being Liverpool's first-choice right-back adjacent play and I get that, but you request fierce contention and Frimpong would supply that," adds Sutton.

"I cognize what an attacking menace helium is, however speedy and dynamic helium is, and however bully helium is successful 1v1 situations."

Frimpong utilized the Bundesliga's 2024-25 wintertime interruption to sojourn Ghana, his parents' homeland, for the archetypal time.

"It was English that was spoken successful the location erstwhile I was increasing up - that and the Ghanaian connection called Twi," helium said.

"My mum would usually talk that to me, but my brothers and sisters each talk English. I'm inactive moving connected my Dutch."

While successful Ghana, Frimpong visited an orphanage successful the superior Accra and was moved by what helium saw.

"I bought them food, we sat unneurotic and I asked tons of them what they would similar to be," helium added.

"The tiny children determination didn't cognize maine astatine each but they came consecutive to maine and wanted maine to instrumentality their hands. They showed maine truthful overmuch warmth.

"In spite of their concern and the full environment, they were truthful afloat of joy. They smiled and we conscionable played shot and were happy."

Thomas Hitzlsperger and Chris Sutton were speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.