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

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

Life is ne'er dull erstwhile nan Dutchman, who has completed a £29.5m move 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 for illustration nan pinkish by nan way," he told German shot master 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 different and he has specified a refreshing tone."

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

But don't 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 pinch Bayer Leverkusen.

After 4 years successful Germany, Frimpong is returning to England aft helping Xabi Alonso's broadside break Bayern Munich's power and present a memorable convention and cup double successful 2023-24.

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

Frimpong was calved successful Amsterdam - nan 5th kid of 7 - though he has spent nan mostly of his life successful Britain.

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

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

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

But by nan property of 18, he 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 he played - and was sent disconnected - successful nan 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 personnel of nan team, and conscionable complete a twelvemonth later he signed for Leverkusen successful a woody worthy astir £10m.

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

"The value of his play, nan gait of his play, nan extremity product."

Former Celtic guardant Sutton highlights Frimpong's electrical gait arsenic he adds: "He was only astatine Celtic for a play aliases 2 and erstwhile he arrived you worried astir him size-wise, but he gave nan squad specified an attacking thrust.

"He is very mini 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 presence of Frimpong astatine Liverpool is intended to thief soften nan rustle of losing Trent Alexander-Arnold, who will go a Real Madrid player connected Sunday.

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

Frimpong was 1 of nan strongest runners successful nan 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 complete 33 games.

He is besides versatile.

In his last quality of nan season, a 4-2 location conclusion by Borussia Dortmund connected 11 May, he 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 nan pitch.

"What I find phenomenal is his velocity erstwhile he is opinionated still and those benignant of first fewer steps," adds Hitzlsperger.

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

"Defensively he is still a very bully subordinate but he is not your emblematic right-back that you spot playing for teams for illustration Inter Milan who mightiness take sides for 90 minutes.

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

Will Frimpong make an instant effect successful nan Premier League?

With Netherlands team-mates Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch successful nan Liverpool dressing room, he will beryllium surrounded by acquainted faces arsenic he 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 title and Frimpong would supply that," adds Sutton.

"I cognize what an attacking threat he is, really speedy and move he is, and really bully he is successful 1v1 situations."

Frimpong utilized nan Bundesliga's 2024-25 wintertime break to sojourn Ghana, his parents' homeland, for nan first time.

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

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

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

"I bought them food, we sat together and I asked tons of them what they would for illustration to be," he added.

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

"In spite of their business and nan 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.