The Slovakian defender has insisted that he is happy to remain Anfield but is unsure about Brendan Rodgers’ reasoning for leaving him out of the first-team picture recently

Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel has admitted that he is frustrated at finding himself relegated to the bench in recent weeks.

The Slovakian centre-back is currently sidelined with a thigh injury but is not confident of regaining his place in the Brendan Rodgers’ XI once he has returned from injury.

“It all happened after our match with Man[chester] United in the middle of January,” he told Denik Sport. “Before that match, we had won twice 3-0 in the league – at QPR and at home we beat Sunderland.

“In Manchester we lost 2-1 but I think that particularly in the second half we played very well. But he [Rodgers] told me we had lost the organisation of play in the defensive line and that this would be the reason why I would not play in the following matches.

“I don’t know which fixtures he spoke about because we had kept a clean sheet twice in a row and we won both matches. Also, we did not disappoint in the game against United.

“He [Rodgers] selects the line-up and picks the players who will be on the pitch. At the moment I’m not among the first 11. It makes me sad but the coach has decided this and I have to respect it.

“I have to wait, what else can I do?

“When I was healthy, I was training with the team, giving 100 per cent and doing all I could to prove to the coach that I belonged in the starting XI. However, now I’m injured and we’ll see what happens when I’m back fit.

“It’s hard to tell, but I would say it wouldn’t [change]. The coach has his ideas about the line-up and the question is if I would be in it if I was fit. I would say it’s likelier I wouldn’t.”

Despite finding himself out of the first-team picture, Skrtel insists he will not rush to find a new club, although there has been reported interest in him from Anzhi Makhachkala.

“It would be useless to think about a transfer during the season even if it is true that you can move to Russia till the end of February,” he said.

“I have come across such views that it would not be correct to consider leaving a club where you have been on the bench in four or five fixtures. On the other hand, it is hard to put up with.

“I have had various thoughts but certainly I’m not going to make any hot-blooded decision. If the coach should lose interest in keeping me in his team, then we would have to handle it with my agent.

“For the present it is valid that I am at Liverpool where I have a long-term contract and I am not thinking about leaving.”

The 22-year-old England international didn’t look all that impressed sat in the crowd when he took his seat to watch the teenage singer perform at the Liverpool Echo Arena

Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson looked as if he would rather be anywhere else on the planet than watching Justin Bieber this weekend… when he was watching Justin Bieber this weekend.

The 22-year-old wasn’t in action for his club after seeing them crash out of the Europa League in midweek to Zenit St Petersburg at home and he took it upon himself to increase his torture tenfold by paying to watch the teenage pop star at Liverpool’s Echo Arena.

The picture, which was posted on Twitter by two of the club’s supporters Natalie Renicks and Phil Cryer, conjures up memories of another of the club’s players to have been caught red-handed while at an embarrassing gig, with former boss Kenny Dalglish seen in the crowd with striker Andy Carroll at a Westlife concert last year at the same venue.

The Canadian teeny-bopper has had huge worldwide hits such as ‘Baby’, ‘Boyfriend’ and ‘Never Let You Go’ and it seems as if Henderson may be looking at alternative ways to butter up manager Brendan Rodgers and ensure he keeps his place in the side for the remainder of the campaign.

ET always figured Brendan to be something more of a Michael Buble fan when pushing the envelope of mainstream music, while reports are unconfirmed that Stewart Downing and Jose Enrique are to be moonlighting as backing dancers in Simply Red’s upcoming ‘world tour’ of Sheffield, Sunderland and Stoke.

The young defender has progressed through the youth academy after joining as a 14-year-old and praises the Anfield stalwart ahead of his retirement at the end of this campaign

Liverpool’s Andre Wisdom has hailed the influence of Jamie Carragher on his career as well as revealing the extent to which the Anfield veteran continues to pass on his knowledge of the game.

The 19-year-old defender is enjoying his maiden campaign for the Reds, making 19 appearances since emerging from the academy, including four games in the Europa League, a competition which Brendan Rodgers’s side exited on Thursday night after an away goals defeat.

FOLLOWING IN HIS FOOTSTEPS?
CARRAGHER & WISDOM LIVERPOOL STATS
JAMIE CARRAGHER SEASONS 17 GAMES 727 GOALS 4 TROPHIES 11

And he attributes his development to the coaching sessions he received from Carragher, who is retiring from football at the end of the season, in the early stages of his time at Melwood.

“I was in the Under-16s,” Wisdom told the official club magazine. “I remember Carragher taking some of our sessions as part of his coaching qualifications. From there I progressed through the ranks.

“To now be playing with him is great. I learned a lot from him back then and I’m still learning a lot from him now. He’s still coaching me in training.

“In fact, I think he coaches everyone. He passes on so much information that he’s almost doing the job of a coach already.”

Wisdom has had to adjust quickly to the pace of life in the Premier League, particularly given the mixed season that Liverpool are enduring, but the Leeds-born full-back insists that he is enjoying the challenge.

“In each of the games I’ve played someone has tried to wind me up or intimidate me,” he said. “It doesn’t work because I can look after myself. I enjoy giving banter back too.

“When I was younger my physical attributes would sometimes get me out of trouble. In the Premier League you can’t rely on those as much because a lot of the players are big, strong and quick. You have to be good both technically and tactically. Those are areas I’m always working on.”

Wisdom has primarily featured at right-back for Rodgers this year, though he has shown his versatility too, as he was switched to centre-back against Anzhi Makhachkala and Chelsea in November.

It is a position Wisdom knows well, having played there frequently for the youth sides, but he insists he does not have a preference, as long as he is playing for the Reds.

“A lot of people have asked if I’ll play centre-back in a few years’ time,” he explained. “I just want to be on the pitch.

“Honestly, I’ll play anywhere. I played right-wing for the U18s and I could play in goal if I had to.”