Football
ESPN staff 10y

Suso: I will fight for Liverpool role

#INSERT type:image caption:Suso played 33 times for Almeria last season, notching three goals and nine assists to help them avoid relegation.END#

Liverpool midfielder Suso is determined to stay at Anfield and fight for his place in the side after spending last season on loan at Almeria.

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Suso, 20, made his breakthrough for the Premier League club during the 2012-13 campaign with 14 league appearances as Brendan Rodgers revamped his side with an emphasis on youth.

However, after moving to Almeria last season to gain experience, the Spain U21 international has returned to Melwood for preseason training with the goal of breaking into Rodgers' starting XI.

"After the season in Spain, I think I have become a better player -- I learned a lot," Suso told the club's official website on Sunday.

"Obviously Liverpool are going to sign a lot of players because we are in the Champions League this season, and we have to have a good squad because there are a lot of competitions.

"But if I fight for my place, I do my best every day in training and when I have the chance to come on or start a game, if I do well, I could have chances to play a lot of minutes in the first team."

Suso revealed he discussed his future with Rodgers during the Christmas break, and insists there is no other club he'd rather be at next season.

"I came here in December at Christmas when I had my week of holidays," he continued. "In Spain, we have a one-week break at Christmas and I came here for two or three days to have a meeting with the manager.

"He talked to me, said he was happy with what I was doing and said that this season he wants me to stay here. I want to stay here and sign a new deal.

"For me, there is no bigger club than Liverpool. The crowd, the people, the stadium and the Kop -- that's a feeling that you cannot explain. You have to live that just to know what you feel.

"It's a really good experience. Last season I was at many stadiums and I never saw a stadium like Anfield. My option is to stay here, sign a new contract and fight for my place."

The 20-year-old's fortunes at Almeria were in stark contrast to Liverpool's last term: he scored three goals and assisted nine more in 33 appearances to help the side avoid relegation from La Liga, while his parent club narrowly missed out on the English title -- though Suso believes the experiences will benefit him in the long run.

"It's a big difference -- Liverpool fighting to win the league and we were fighting to not get relegated," he added. "But that's the difference between a small club and a big club like Liverpool.

"In this case, you appreciate the big things that a club like Liverpool do. Living in another city was a big difference but it was good for me to see the difference and appreciate this club as well.

"I learned a lot in every game and every week in training, with some other players -- maybe not the same quality as [Liverpool], but they were good.

"I enjoyed it so much because I wanted to get minutes, and to go on loan for one year just to play football. I knew that if I stayed here, I'd maybe play a lot less than I did last season.

"That's why I went on loan -- to learn. Every time I come here for training, I try to learn from the players. Last season in Spain, all I wanted to do was get minutes. I played with other players, older players, on the pitch."

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