Dejan Lovren believes Liverpool have struck a “great balance” of youth and experience within the squad, and keeping “the core” together can only breed more success.
At 30, Lovren is the third-oldest outfield player in Jurgen Klopp‘s squad, behind only Adam Lallana and James Milner, and the fifth-oldest overall.
The Croatian could move on at the end of the season, along with Lallana and Andy Lonergan, as the makeup of the group continues to change with new faces expected to join.
In an interview with LiverpoolFC.com, however, Lovren possibly hinted at a prolonged stay on Merseyside as he explained how the Reds can “only grow” over “many years.”
“It’s important to have a mix between really young players, the middle [age] players and the experienced players,” he said.
“I think we have it, this is the great balance.
“We are used to playing big finals and the big games and we know how to manage it. Even when we are 1-0 down we know what to do. This is why it’s important to have a balance in the team.
“If we keep the important players and the core of the team here for many years, we will only grow.”
Whether Lovren was simply speaking generally, or more specifically about his intention to stay on Merseyside for the long term, remains to be seen.
But the centre-back’s words on a squad that is “always hungry and will stay hungry” underline the mantra behind Klopp’s success so far, with the manager cultivating an ambitious outlook.
“The core of the team is here, starting from the manager—he did a great job here from the beginning,” Lovren continued.
“He showed everyone that he has the abilities and the skills and he knows how to manage the team in bad moments and in good moments.
“We didn’t stop work, that’s the main point—we stayed hungry. This is what he brought to us. We are always hungry and will stay hungry.
“Once you try a good meal, you want to try it again—you don’t stop. This is what is pushing us. We want to show to everyone what we are capable of.”
It is disappointing that the current situation has seen the Premier League title elude Liverpool so far, with it likely having been clinched already by this point if the season had continued as planned.
But the hope is that the trophy is not far off, with the campaign expected to resume in June.
And if so, Lovren could add another medal to his collection ahead of an interesting off-season for the defender.
Fan Comments