The Spanish shot-stopper has praised the Anfield faithful and has urged them to back their boss and to keep believing, especially in the aftermath of tough results

Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina has praised the club’s fans and called on them to back manager Brendan Rodgers.

In a recent interview with Spanish newspaper El Mundo, the Spaniard highlighted the importance of the fans’ continued belief in the players, especially when things aren’t going well on the pitch.

“Here, if things are going well or badly, if you give 100% the fans admire you, respect you and love you,” the Spaniard told El Mundo.

“It’s important that a team is great, but even more that the fans keep believing in the players when things aren’t going so well.”

Spain face Finland on Friday and France next Tuesday in two important World Cup qualifying fixtures, and Reina emphasised the honour that he feels when picked for the national side.

“Everything indicates that I will play, but I won’t change my attitude because Iker [Casillas] isn’t here,” he said. “I’m always excited and prepared.

“Not everybody that is called up is lucky enough to play. Only 11 play, but being called up by your country is an honour.”

When asked about the current form of Real Madrid goalkeeper Diego Lopez, who was snapped up by Jose Mourinho from Villarreal in January following first-choice goalkeeper Casillas’ hand injury, Reina was full of praise for the 31-year-old Spaniard.

“Diego [Lopez] is playing so well; he has been decisive in many games and he is a Real Madrid-quality goalkeeper, without doubt,” he said.

“But in the national team it is the manager that makes the decisions.”

Reina also spoke about his personal side, insisting that he wants people to value him as a sportsman, and not just for an exuberant personality.

“I’m not the showman. I’m an extrovert and joyful, and I have been lucky enough to be able to celebrate three great titles,” he continued.

“I have been one of the most dedicated, but I am one of La Roja‘s goalkeepers, not the showman.

“It’s not something that I prepare; I’m like that and whoever knows me knows that. But at the same time I don’t want people to prefer the funny Pepe Reina.

“I want them to value me as a sportsman.”

Despite a disappointing 3-1 defeat away at Southampton on Saturday leaving them nine points adrift of fourth spot, the midfielder says the Reds’ end-of-season aim remains in sight

Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson says their Champions League hopes are not yet dashed despite a 3-1 defeat to Southampton at St Mary’s.

Brendan Rodgers had outlined his team’s ambition to claim a top-four finish and Champions League football come the end of the season after victory over Tottenham but the loss ended the Red’s three-match winning streak and leaves them nine points adrift.

But Henderson remains positive, highlighting games against teams above Liverpool as opportunities to climb up the table.

“It was a big disappointment against Southampton but Europe’s not gone yet,” he told reporters. “We’ve still got eight games to play and that’s a lot of points to play for.

“We’ve still got to play some of the teams above us so we have to keep going. We have to pick ourselves up from this and ensure we respond positively against Aston Villa after the international break.”

Henderson has endured a frustrating few weeks recently with his first-team exposure limited, but an injury to fellow midfielder Joe Allen has afforded an opportunity to force himself into manager Rodgers’ plans for the run-in.

“I’ve just got to keep working hard,” Henderson told the Liverpool Echo. “Before Saturday the team had been playing brilliantly so I can’t complain.

“You can’t really change a winning team so I’ve understood why I’ve not played. I just have to make sure that when the manager needs me I’m ready to take my chance.”

The 35-year-old defender was ruled out by a shin injury on Saturday and watched his team-mates struggle at the back and slump to a 3-1 loss against Mauricio Pochettino’s team

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has admitted that the Reds missed the presence of Jamie Carragher in defence during the 3-1 defeat to Southampton on Saturday.

Carragher missed the clash at St Mary’s with a shin injury so Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel were paired at centre-back.

Rodgers acknowledged that his team must improve as a defensive unit but insisted that the problem ran all the way through the team and refused to pin the blame on any specific players.

“There’s no question,” he told reporters when asked if Liverpool had missed Carragher. “For us, it’s an area we feel we need to be better in.

“We defend from the front. It’s the team. We never defended well as a team so it’s unfair to criticise those two [Agger and Skrtel].

“They’ll be disappointed of course, as defenders, when we concede goals. We’ve been in a run of late where we either don’t concede or we do, two or three.

“So it was one where our defensive line always starts from the front of the pitch. This is a group, when we lose, we lose together.”

Several Liverpool players will now leave the club for the international break and Rodgers hoped the brief departure from club football would prove beneficial.

“Maybe you’ve just got to go away and reflect on the last few weeks,” he added. “Because it’s important for us to maintain the efforts that we have been putting in that have got us results.

“Today we let those standards slip a wee bit so we just need to get back now and refocus on that and I’m sure we’ll see a different side against Aston Villa.”