Adrian signed for Liverpool as their back-up goalkeeper just last week, but he has already made his Premier League debut and saved a penalty to win the UEFA Super Cup.
The 32-year-old joined the Reds on a free transfer on 5 August and was unexpectedly called into action on the opening day of the season, replacing Alisson Becker who suffered a calf injury.
The former West Ham stopper has now been thrust into the limelight and has not wilted, saving Tammy Abraham’s penalty in the shootout after a 2-2 draw in the Super Cup in Istanbul to secure his team’s first trophy of the season.
The Spaniard could barely contain his joy at the end of the match in Turkey after a wild start to his life with the Champions League winners.
‘Welcome to Liverpool!’ Adrian told BT Sport. ‘It was a crazy week but with [my teammates] it’s so easy playing at the back.
‘I’m really happy for the team to get the trophy. I’m really happy to play for Liverpool and really happy for the fans because they enjoyed tonight.
‘It was a long game but at the end it was a great finish for us.’
With Alisson set for a number of weeks on the sidelines, Adrian will remain between the sticks and is set to start against Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday.
His new manager, Jurgen Klopp, is delighted for the keeper and has been impressed, not only with his on-field work, but with his personality behind the scenes.
‘What a story,’ Klopp told BT Sport. ‘He kept his nerves together. He’s loud in the dressing room already.
‘I don’t think he’s won a lot in his life, so it’s good for him to win it. He made some unbelievable saves, both keepers did, so I’m really happy for him.’
Adrian had fallen out of favour at West Ham last season, not making a single league appearance and he explained how his move to Liverpool came about.
‘I was waiting to sign for a club, like a few months after the end of the season,’ the Spanish stopper said.
‘So, I didn’t know in that moment that Liverpool would come to me and call me saying ‘Adrian, come on, come to us because Mignolet has an offer’ and they let him go.
‘And obviously it was a bit hard summer for me, a different one, because I didn’t know when I was going to a start with a team or another team, the Spanish league or not.
‘But, at the end of the day, it was a great decision to come here, to give that title, the first one to Liverpool.
‘Obviously everything is going so quick. I made my debut on Friday because Ali got an injury, (then) the first starting 11 today. What a win, what a win on penalties.’
It is a quick turnaround for the Reds after their late finish in Istanbul, as they travel to the south coast to take on the Saints at 3pm on Saturday.
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