Mamardashvili: The Alisson heir with 'German blood' ready for big chance

With Alisson Becker set to be sidelined for a number of weeks, Giorgi Mamardashvili has a chance to show why he should be Liverpool's next number one.

Photo: IMAGO | Anfield Index

It speaks to the calm authority exuded by Giorgi Mamardashvili that no Liverpool fan was overly concerned about him coming into the fold for a maiden Premier League start at Chelsea just over a week ago.

Despite having only been seen in pre-season games up to that point, the 25-year-old appeared to have already earned the trust built up over a number of seasons by Caoimhin Kelleher prior to his departure to Brentford this summer.

Still, if there is one difference between Mamardashvili and his predecessor in the role of back-up, it is that he has no doubts he is at Anfield to eventually take the No.1 jersey for himself.

That was certainly the thinking of Liverpool’s recruitment staff when they moved to sign the goalkeeper from Valencia a year ago.

Mamardashvili had stood out to scouts based in Spain by preventing a frankly ludicrous 10.2 goals in comparison to the shots he had faced in the 2023-24 season.

Yet, with Alisson Becker still in place, the new man knew he would have to bide his time in spending a further year in La Liga before initially arriving on Merseyside as a number two.

However, Mamardashvili also felt that, even this year, opportunities would present themselves, just as they have now that Alisson is facing a spell on the sidelines with another muscle injury.

So what is it that Liverpool fans have seen so far that has resulted in them taking so quickly to their new shot-stopper?

Only the same, it seems, as former Blackburn defender and now-Georgia national team coach Zurab Khizanishvili, who has worked closely with Mamardashvili in recent years.

He explains: “What we really loved was his personality, he’s very calm on and off the pitch.

“We said he had German blood inside because he was a cold guy, and we are not like that as Georgians, we are very warm people!

“His father was a goalkeeper, he played for Dinamo Tbilisi. Okay, he didn’t play such a high level, but football is in his blood.

“When you’re a goalkeeper playing at a high level you need that personality to stay calm.

“I was a central defender and when Brad Friedel was behind me or Stefan Klos, I was calm automatically. He is this kind of guy.

“I’ve been working with him for five years and I swear, when I’m on the bench and teams attack us and we are defending, I’m so quiet and relaxed! I was more worried when attack!

“I know it’s so difficult to score against Mamardashvili because I saw it so many times on the training pitch when [Khivicha] Kvaratshkelia goes in competition with him.”

That Mamardashvili looks made for playing for a club like Liverpool makes what happens next particularly interesting.

Alisson’s injury issues have become more frequent in nature of late and, though the 33-year-old has turned away interest in recent summers, he will have just one year remaining on his contract when this season ends.

Should Mamardashvili stake a strong claim in the weeks ahead, could Liverpool fans be about to witness a changing of the guard between the sticks?