The footballing enigma that is Tiago Ilori has spoken out after winning a spot on the Aston Villa bench at the weekend.
The 22-year-old Portuguese centre-back was selected as part of a match day squad for the first time since his loan move to Villa Park, although Remi Garde didn’t give him any minutes.
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Ilori played for Villa’s Under-21s on Monday, but is still behind Jores Okore, Joleon Lescott and Micah Richards among others in the first-team pecking order.
“I haven’t played football for a good couple of months and it was great to play 90 minutes,” he said, cited by the Echo.
“I need consistency and to get match fit so to play for the U21s was great – the win was important too. It’s been very frustrating. But I was on the bench on Saturday so I’m as close as I can be now.
“I want to be in there and helping the team, especially at this time. That’s what’s important.
“The draw was a good result for us on Saturday at Southampton.
“I think we all felt happy with a point but we were also a bit disappointed not to win after being in front.
“We’ll work hard now to get an even better result.”
Injuries have blighted Ilori, but in reality, if he can’t get anywhere near Villa’s side, there’s no way he’ll make it at Liverpool.
Brendan Rodgers signed him from Sporting Lisbon in 2013 for a cool £7m, but the defender has never played a minute of first-team football for Liverpool.
Many fans were disappointed we were once again loaning him out this summer just gone, but his inability to get fit and impress proves it was probably the right decision.