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Simon Mignolet admits being Liverpool's back-up keeper is easier to take this season as he saluted the brilliance of Alisson Becker.

It's been a year since the long-serving Belgian shot-stopper lost his status as the club's No.1.

Mignolet was initially cast aside for Loris Karius, who struggled to deliver and endured a personal nightmare in the Champions League final in Kiev.

Last summer Jurgen Klopp splashed out £65million on Alisson, sent Karius on loan to Besiktas and opted to keep Mignolet in reserve.

Mignolet, who has only played two domestic cup games all season, misses the buzz of regular action, but has admired the impact of Alisson in helping to inspire the Reds' Premier League title challenge.

“Yeah, I can accept it easier now,” Mignolet told the ECHO.

(Image: Nick Potts/PA Wire)

“It's also the fact that the team is playing so well. Ali has been so important for the team.

“He has shown his strengths. He's up there with the top five keepers in the world, if not the best.

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“He's a very natural goalkeeper. He's got a lot of talent and he's very fluent, he doesn't really think about stuff. It's all natural to him.

“He's playing as the No.1 for Brazil in front of Manchester City's goalkeeper – that says enough, really. I can accept that slightly better.”

Mignolet has helped the former Roma keeper get to grips with the demands of English football.

Alisson is on course to win the Golden Glove in his debut season at Anfield with 13 clean sheets in 23 top-flight outings so far.

“Ali and I work well together. We have a very good relationship,” Mignolet said.

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“I've picked up a few things from him and he's picked up a few things from me.

“I've been playing in the Premier League for 10 years now and certain things are different here compared to abroad. He asks me some questions and I try to answer them.

“He's very calm on the ball and I try to replicate that. I think I showed it in the FA Cup game against Wolves. We can bounce off each other and learn off each other.

“I respect him, not just for the player he is, but also for the person he is. I can learn Spanish from him too which is another benefit!”

It's no secret that Mignolet was keen to move on last summer in search of regular action elsewhere.

But Liverpool wouldn't sanction a loan and no club was willing to meet their £12million valuation. Mignolet is adamant that a potential switch to Fulham didn't collapse due to his personal terms.

“That's not true,” he added. “A lot of things are said during transfer windows, some things are true, some are not. Ultimately, nothing happened last summer and I stayed here.”

With Besiktas prepared to pay a £2.25million two-year loan fee for Karius with the promise of making the deal permanent in 2020 for a further £7.25million if certain performance criteria are met, Liverpool opted to off-load the German and keep Mignolet as cover.

Leaving during the current window was never an option for a player whose contract runs until 2021. This summer is likely to see him pursue a new challenge but that talk has been parked until the campaign is complete.

“I've said before that I don't want to be sat on the bench,” Mignolet said.

(Image: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

“I'll be 31 in March. Of course I want to play but in certain circumstances you have to accept the situation you are in.

“It's something I can't control myself. All I can control is my training and being there for the team.

“The good thing is that I'm professional, I think everyone would agree with that. I know I have to work for myself in the first place - for my future and my career I need to stay at this level.

“Secondly, the team demands that we push each other. Ali demands it, the goalie coaches want it from me. In the training sessions we must push each other to the highest level. If I switched off that might have a knock on effect on the other boys, especially on Alisson.

“We are fighting for the Premier League and the Champions League. I am a Liverpool football player with two years left on my contract and I do will my service for the club in the best possible way I can. Then we will see what happens.

“Definitely, nothing will happen this month and we will see what happens in the summer. Hopefully it will be a story for after we have won the Premier League and the Champions League.”