The Denmark captain claims he ended an eight-year spell at Anfield last summer because his manager failed to appreciate his contributions on and off the pitch

Daniel Agger has revealed that a personality clash with Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers led to his departure from Anfield.

Agger ended an eight-year spell with Liverpool in August by returning to former club Brondby in a reported €4 million move.

The Denmark captain was second choice to Mamadou Sakho and Martin Skrtel in central defence last season as Liverpool finished second in the Premier League under Northern Irishman Rodgers.

And Dejan Lovren’s summer arrival from Southampton pushed Agger further down the Anfield pecking order.

However, Agger revealed that a failure of Rodgers – who he went on to describe as “an extremely competent coach” – to appreciate his contributions, rather than a lack of first-team opportunities, was the key factor in his decision to move back to his homeland.

“Let me put it this way – me and the manager were perhaps not on the same page for all of last season. For most of last season at least,” Agger told Danish TV programme Onside.

“There was some distance between us and for me that was enough. I didn’t feel that he appreciated the things I contributed. And when I feel that, then it is time to move on.

“Maybe where it went wrong between me and him is that I am very direct. I say things as they are, and also expect that people are [that way towards] to me. Maybe it’s wrong to expect that.”

Liverpool have lost three of their opening five Premier League games, with Saturday’s 3-1 defeat to West Ham coming four days after narrowly beating Ludogorets in Europe

Raheem Sterling has called on Liverpool to adapt to the added demands of Champions League football.

The club are back in Europe’s elite club competition after a five-year absence this season, but have lost three of their opening five top-flight fixtures this term following Saturday’s 3-1 defeat to West Ham.

Liverpool are already seven points adrift of unbeaten leaders Chelsea, but Sterling is not using the Champions League as a reason for his team’s poor form domestically.

“We can’t use playing in the Champions League as an excuse because there are other teams in the Premier League doing exactly the same as us who are winning games,” Sterling told the Liverpool Echo.

“The games are coming thick and fast but that’s what we want – to be competing at the top end of the Premier League and in the Champions League.

“What it means now is that after the second recovery day after a game we’re straight back into another game. That’s the way it’s going to be this season and that’s something we need to get used to.

Liverpool have badly missed star striker Daniel Sturridge, who sustained a thigh injury while on international duty with England earlier this month.

Sturridge is expected to return to the squad for Saturday’s crucial Merseyside derby against Everton – and Sterling cannot wait to line-up alongside the former Chelsea man again.

“Daniel is a massive miss for us with his goals and the way he plays in behind defenders,” added Sterling. “Him coming back should add another dimension to the team.”

The Reds were soundly beaten by West Ham in the Premier League at the weekend but the Northern Irishman is keen for his side to pick up a big victory in the League Cup

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is eyeing a morale-boosting League Cup win over Middlesbrough ahead of Saturday’s derby clash with Everton.

Rodgers was left deflated by a 3-1 defeat at West Ham over the weekend, their third loss in five Premier League fixtures this term, and is determined to get back into the winning habit before hosting their local rivals.

With Champions League football to negotiate as well this season, Rodgers could be forgiven for sacrificing the cup, but the northern Irishman suggests that will not be the case when the Championship high-flyers visit.

“We’ve got a massive game in the up in the week and then an even bigger game next week when we play the derby,” Rodgers told reporters.

“We need to refocus now and look to get back to winning again.

“We have lost three out of our five games, so we need to be much better. We showed the potential in our team in the Tottenham game and we need to look to get back to that level as quickly as we can.

“There’s no doubt we need to go back onto the training ground and continue to work. We have set a new expectancy at the club that we have to deal with now.

“We have got lots of games and Liverpool as a football club is always a club that people want to beat, but certainly now in particular. But we have to deal with that and that is something that we will do.”

Rodgers is still expected to give some of his fringe players a chance, especially at the back, with Martin Skrtel only just returning from a knee injury at Upton Park and Dejan Lovren finishing that match with a heavily-bandaged head following a collision with team-mate Mamadou Sakho.

Middlesbrough will be without suspended midfielder Dean Whitehead after he was sent off late on in Saturday’s 4-0 Championship defeat of Brentford but centre-half Dani Ayala is available to return following a ban.

Aitor Karanka’s side have already enjoyed comfortable wins over Oldham and Preston in this competition and will travel to Merseyside in good heart following a run of three league victories.

“The most important thing is that we keep going in this way and win games,” Karanka told the club’s official website.

“We have won three in a row now, we have another on Tuesday and we have to keep looking at the following game.”