Dejan Lovren Looking to be a Leader for Liverpool, Not a Benchwarmer

Klopp’s tenure at Anfield got off to something of a slow start, with three consecutive draws before a 1-0 victory over Bournemouth.

The Brazil worldwide produced his best performance in a Liverpool shirt to date after he scored his first goal and made his first assist for the Reds in a 4-1 win at Manchester City at The Etihad on Saturday evening. It was not just the manager’s fault. I am not the guy who today buys 10 players and tomorrow sells ten players because we want to work together.

Dejan Lovren insists he is content at Liverpool even after a tumultuous start to life at Anfield.

“I am feeling settled and happy in the club and I think the most important thing is we are playing well”. There were a couple of changes when I first came to the club and so many players have gone now. “I came here to be a leader and I still feel I can lead a team”.

However, the Croatia global says he is finding it much easier to make his presence known now thanks to the “big influence” Klopp has had on all the players.

I know in this world we judge after one second sometimes but that is in football and in my opinion is not allowed.

“We are like he said, we need to live 24 hours with football and the job and everything and it will be payback for us on the pitch”. I am a person who likes to shout and talk during the game. “The most important thing is to go step by step, not look forward eight games”, mused Lovren before acknowledging the added stress that comes along with being a player that’s under the microscope. “When I am shouting I am concentrating more”.

It would be wrong to say there weren’t flashes of at least solid performances last season – in fact he was part of one or two very solid displays but that’s not enough for the fee paid for him, or the standard required at a club like Liverpool that wants to regularly compete for honours.