Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain believes he can be like a new signing for Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool this campaign having recovered from a long-term injury that kept him out of action for almost the whole of last season.
The England midfielder missed out on Gareth Southgate’s squad for the matches against the Czech Republic and Bulgaria having not featured that much for the Reds over the last few weeks.
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By the time the next international break comes around in about a month, he may well have played a lot more football given how many matches there are to come for the Reds.
Oxlade-Chamberlain says he has set targets this season, with the first step being to make himself a regular option for Klopp.
Speaking to LiverpoolFC.com, he said: “For me as an individual, my goals are to get back in and around the team and to help push this team forward a little bit more.
“If we can do that, I can start thinking about what I need to add to my game. For now, the next step is to help the team. I guess I feel like a new option to [Klopp] compared to last season because he didn’t have me at his disposal, to be able to use me.
“To miss out [on the title last season] in the way we did was heartbreaking, so as a team we need to do better. With teams like Man City, and how relentless they are, we know we have to do more.”
Get Oxlade-Chamberlain back to his best and the Reds will have a top player on their hands. Giving him sufficient minutes for that to be possible, though, will be the challenge, with Naby Keita also vying to be handed an opportunity in an already congested midfield.