“I'M SO PROUD TO SIGN A NEW DEAL”
“To re-sign [your contract] shows you’ve obviously contributed enough that the people who make the decisions want you to stay longer. For a player who wants to be part of something special, I can’t think of a better club to commit your future to.”
“THIS GROUP OF PLAYERS HAS SUCH A BRIGHT FUTURE”
“We have a brilliant squad of players who are only going to get better the longer we are together. We have a world-class manager and coaching staff. And because it’s Liverpool there is that added X-factor of the supporters and what success would mean to them when we achieve it here.
“I’m just delighted that I’m going to be part of it for even longer. I think my best years are still ahead of me because I feel so fresh and confident. You can’t always promise to be the best player on the pitch but I think you can promise to try your best each and every game. I try to do that and I think the Liverpool supporters see that in me.”
“I'M HAPPY TO PLAY WHERE REQUIRED”
“I guess I'll play a certain position differently to someone else in that role because of my natural qualities and natural movements. For example, if I play on the right I'll go about it in a different way than somebody such as Sadio [Mane]. That's the same for anyone else. James Milner will play the left-back position differently to a more orthordox left-back. It's not a massive thing for players.”
“I GET A REAL BUZZ ON MATCHDAYS”
“You wake up and have a buzz straightaway because you know it's the day you'll be playing. When I was a kid that was the case and it's definitely the same now. When I was younger I played all of the time, wherever and whenever possible. At school, at the youth club, Sunday league or over the fence on the local field. It was a massive hobby for me and something I really loved.”
“I APPRECIATE HOW FORTUNATE I AM”
“I suppose it was only when I had a family that I think I really began to look at football as a job because I had kids to support. I was 23 or 24 when that became the case. Before then I didn't consider it [the job aspect] too much. Once you have responsibilities you look at it slightly differently. But I know how lucky I am to have a career as a footballer and I still enjoy it now as much as I ever did.”
“I'M FOOTBALL-CRAZY!”
“I've found that the higher up I play, the more intense it is and the less I want to switch off, really. For example, I remember I got back home after we had lost to Swansea City [at home] and then watched Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur, which some people might not have wanted to do after our game. A few of the lads probably couldn't have sat through another game that day.
“Then I watched live games the next day too. I find it a good way to chill out. If I didn't enjoy football so much I probably wouldn't watch those game. I love the buzz of football and always have.”
“LIVING NEXT DOOR TO JÜRGEN…”
“Jürgen Klopp is so easy-going it's just like having a normal neighbour. He's a private family man, just like myself, and we don't actually see each other too often."
