Yesterday we praised the contributions of midfielder Lucas Leiva in the victory over Chelsea.
The 23 year-old has reflected on his performance and how he has battled to keep his place in the side following the departure of Rafa Benitez in the summer, the man who signed him from Gremio in 2007.
“Everyone knows Rafa had a lot of confidence in me, so last season was different,” he said. “Everyone could [also] see the manager brought in a midfielder [Poulsen] while Mascherano was [also] here. We had a lot of midfielders. But I don’t really think about things too much. If at the end the manager doesn’t play me, it is his decision. All I can do is work really hard.”
Reflecting on Sunday he said “It is also good to show that there is more to Brazilian players than just tricks. You need to show that you can do the dirty job for the team. That’s what I’m trying to do. I play defensive and get forward when I can.”
“I’m getting older and I think I am getting better,” he said.
