by aCe' » Mon Mar 16, 2009 8:16 pm
Lucas Leiva Considers Liverpool Exit To Boost Brazil Chances
The midfielder seems mystified at his omission from the Selecao, and admits that he may well be forced to leave Merseyside in an attempt to revive his international career.
16 Mar 2009 17:37:15
Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva is considering an exit from Anfield in an effort to boost his chances of playing regularly in the yellow shirt of Brazil.
The midfielder, who captained his country's Under-20 side and won an Olympic bronze medal at Beijing in 2008, has had an inconsistent season, and has failed to hold down a regular starting place in the Reds' line-up, facing stiff competition for the midfield berths from Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano.
"I consider that I play a lot, but the internal competition is very high," Setanta Sports News reports the player as telling Brazilian media. "The situation doesn’t worry me right now because my objective has always been to be playing in order to be back with the national team.
"Once the season is over I will see what the best option is for me. Everybody wants to be playing in the World Cup and I will push to have this chance.
"You have to play all the time if you want to be called up."
And Lucas seemed a little perplexed by national coach Dunga's refusal to call him up to the squad, but accepted that he was in no position to argue with the manager's choice.
He concluded, "I can hardly explain what happened, but Dunga makes his own decisions. I was in the squad in the last four World Cup qualifiers and played against Bolivia, during which the team didn’t play well.
"I believe that I’m part of a list of 30 or 40 players, but I’m out of the 22-men squad."