Martin Skrtel reveals which Liverpool arrivals inspired him to improve

Posted by

Is Martin Skrtel’s development down to his teammates…

You won’t often here praise for the Liverpool careers of Tiago Ilori and Dejan Lovren, let alone in the same sentence. However, it’s their arrivals, along with that of Mamadou Sakho, that their fellow defender feels were key.

SEE MORE:
Ultimate Premier League era Liverpool cult-hero XI – Igor Biscan and Titi Camara included
Liverpool’s nine greatest Premier League bargains – with pricey striker and Brazilian duo proving their worth
Liverpool transfer news

Speaking with the Liverpool Echo, Martin Skrtel reveals that the influx of big-money buys inspired him to raise his own game and prove that he was worth continued selection from manager Brendan Rodgers.

It was Rodgers who spent over £40m on the afore mentioned trio despite already having the popular Slovakian at his disposal, with none of them able to force their way into the side in place of the former Zenit man.

It’s also Skrtel who has proved the most indispensable of defenders for Rodgers this season, playing at the heart of our back-three during the first half of 2015 and continuing a similar role since the return to a back four.

Speaking about his season on a personal level, he said: “I think that it’s only a good thing when new players come into the team.

“It makes you feel the pressure to make you work even harder, it pushes you to work very hard and do your best in every single session. That is the key for every single player, not only the defenders.

“The manager changed the formation and we started playing well but for me as a defender it is not a big difference if you are playing in a three or the four.

“The first thing for you is defending and trying to protect your goal, and trying to stop them from scoring goals. We have seen the system with the three at the back was working for us and we will see for the future if we stick with it or change again.”

More Stories Martin Skrtel