Liverpool FC Forum

"He's a great young player, improving all the time at Liverpool and I'm sure he'll recover as soon as it's possible and he'll be back fighting for every loose ball in midfield.

"He was actually in the dressing room at half-time being treated but we had a lot to talk about so we weren't really able to do much except tell him to keep his chin up.

"It was arriving at the airport knowing that we were leaving someone behind when it struck us how bad the injury must be.

"We went over there with a full squad and we wanted to leave with a full squad. That's how it is here, we win, lose and draw as a team and we fight as a team. You never like leaving people behind.

"We knew the doctor was with him and that he would be in the best possible hands in Portugal but it put a damper on an already bad night.

"I went down to the medical staff on the Wednesday morning to see how he was but it wasn't until much later in the day that we found out the situation.

"He has everyone's support at the club and we are all thinking about him and hoping for him to make a full recovery in time to play his part in our run to the end of the season."

"He's a little like me in the way he plays but he has more energy than me!

"People ask me regularly if I have given him advice since he came here but I haven't had to really. He has played in Spain for Valencia for a couple of years and you don't get to that stage if you're not a good player.
 
"He has picked up some bookings this season but he's new to the team and the league so that's natural.

"I think you have seen already in the second half of the season that he is learning more with every game. He just wants to win the ball all the time so that explains his collection of yellow cards.

"Now you see him standing off a player more and waiting until his man commits to something before he goes in for the ball. But I wouldn't want him to Lose that tackling and that aggression from his game because that is one of the things that makes him such a great player.

"He hasn't ever asked for advice but if he ever did want to then he certainly could, but from what I've seen of him this year he doesn't need any from me!"