Viera Comparisons Aside:
The arrival of Mohamed Sissoko to the Premiership has quickly turned some heads. The young center-half, known for his tough tackling, has begun his career with Liverpool FC by playing a large part in their early successes in Champions League qualifying and the opening matches in LFC's domestic campaign.
Born in France, the 20 year old Sissoko played under current Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez while at Valencia. An international player for Mali, the birth country of his parents, Sissoko has been getting the attention of Europe's top clubs for some time and continually draws comparisons to France and Arsenal legend Patrick Viera. As one of Arsene Wenger's first signings after taking the reigns at Arsenal, Viera was a bargain at £4m considering the skills he has developed and the hard edge he has brought to an otherwise finesse-driven Arsenal squad. Upon arrival to Liverpool, Benitez said of Sissoko, "He runs more than Viera and in a couple of years will be more dynamic than Viera and a better player."
While Sissoko, who came to Liverpool in a deal worth £5m, has done little to dispell these comparisons, he is still a very raw player who despite collecting 2 yellow cards in 2 matches seems to be finding his feet in the Premiership quite quickly. The partnership of Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso is as good as it gets in the Premiership, but that has done little to deter Rafael Benitez from selecting the young Sissoko. Handed a starting role alongside Gerrard and Alonso in each of Liverpool's opening 2 fixtures (away to Middlesbrough and away to Sunderland), Sissoko has put in passionate displays and is swiftly winning over the Anfield faithful. Also, figuring in all but 20min of Liverpool's last 4 Champions League qualifying matches has shown that Rafael Benitez has his sights set on Sissoko being a major contributor in the club's bid to defend the European Championship. Viera comparisons aside, Mohamed Sissoko is a rising star in European football and will be anchoring an exciting Liverpool midfield for years to come.