Ahead of Liverpool's Carabao Cup third-round match against Tottenham, Koumas sat down for an exclusive interview with Sky Sports. In the second part of the interview (split into three parts due to its length), he discussed his Liverpool debut and the 2024 League Cup final.

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Tell me about your Premier League debut. You said it felt like the pinnacle of your career, and you'd been waiting for this moment for years. Did that wait make the joy even more precious? You made your FA Cup debut in 2024; did the long wait to make your first-team Premier League debut for Liverpool make that moment more meaningful?

When I came on as a substitute against Newcastle, I felt an enormous sense of pride. All the hard work during my two loan spells was rewarded in that moment, and it felt amazing. I had made my debut, and of course, I hoped for more opportunities, but at that time, the club decided I should continue on loan. I could only accept that and work hard at my loan club. In the end, that hard work paid off, and I'm very happy right now.

Do you think Iraola is willing to give young players space to develop? It's clear he's very willing to promote young talent and give them opportunities. How does it feel to be valued by a manager like that?

To be honest, he gives all the young players a lot of confidence. He's proven through his actions that your background and reputation don't matter; as long as you can help the team, he'll use you. This gives us strong confidence, and every day we come to training, we know there's an opportunity available.

He treats everyone equally, whether you're captain Van Dijk or a young player from the academy.

That's right, that's his philosophy, and it really encourages and motivates us.

I watched a video—I think it was during a match against Atlético Madrid—where he wrote down tactical notes. I'm not sure if those were for the players on the pitch or if they were later passed to you on the bench. What happened there?

He made a temporary adjustment to our pressing strategy, completely changing the structure of our press. He wrote down the new tactics on a piece of paper so we could all understand and execute them immediately if we came on as substitutes.

That was also a learning experience for you, showing how quickly he can adapt and hopefully you understood the changes.

Yes, he changed his approach mid-match, and if we came on as substitutes, we had to quickly grasp his new setup.

Is he a tactically-focused manager, or is he better at inspiring emotions and genuine communication? What's his style?

He's excellent and very kind. He was also a professional player himself, which is very helpful because he understands how players feel when receiving tactical information on the pitch. He's truly a very good person.

He was a player, and so was your father. Does your father still give you a lot of advice? Is he your harshest critic?

After I started playing professional football, his criticism has eased up quite a bit, but during my first loan spell, he was very strict with me. We worked together as much as possible to ensure I could become a first-team player.

When he talks to you, does he still coach you the way he did when you first joined Liverpool's academy at age 11?

He's helped me tremendously, especially during my first couple of loan spells. It's rare to find anyone who's experienced professional football to talk to.

How many Premier League goals did he score in total?

I'm not sure of the exact number; I think he had around 96 appearances, but I'm not certain about the specific goal tally.

Do you hope to surpass his record in the future?

Of course, I definitely hope to do that.

Going back to 2024, the Carabao Cup final that Liverpool won, you were on the bench at that time. Many young players featured in that match. Tell me about your memories of that day. How did it feel seeing so many young players get their chance and win?

That League Cup was very special. Being there in person was incredible. The team had several injury issues, and I, Trey Nyoni, Bobby Clark, and Jayden Danns were all included in the squad. I remember Jayden Danns, McConnell, and Bobby Clark all came on as substitutes. Their performance on the pitch was fantastic. After the match, I was fortunate to receive a medal, and holding it felt amazing, especially as I've been a lifelong Liverpool fan.

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