Jurgen Klopp told Liverpool FC shouldn’t ‘forget’ 29-year-old
The Liverpool FC legend insists Dejan Lovren has a role to play in Jurgen Klopp's squad
Liverpool FC shouldn’t forget about Dejan Lovren, former Reds midfielder Danny Murphy insists.
The Croatia international has been Jurgen Klopp’s third-choice centre-half throughout the Premier League season so far.
Lovren has been an automatic starter throughout most of the German head coach’s three-season spell in charge of the Merseyside outfit.
The 29-year-old even remained in the starting line up following the addition of Virgil van Dijk in a £75m deal from Southampton in the January transfer window.
Lovren helped Croatia to reach the World Cup final in Russia in the summer before a 4-2 loss to France in the showpiece.
He picked up an injury problem at the start of the season and Joe Gomez seized the chance to establish an impressive centre-half partnership with Van Dijk.
Indeed, the Reds have only conceded four goals in 10 games in the English top flight so far, although Lovren has started in the middle of the defence and Gomez at full-back in their last two games.
Given that Lovren is often prone to a defensive lapse, many Liverpool FC supporters will be hoping Klopp will revert back to Gomez and Van Dijk at centre-half for the trip to Arsenal this weekend.
However, former Liverpool FC star Murphy believes Lovren is a more than worthy third-choice centre-half in the Liverpool FC team.
“I think [Dejan] Lovren deserves some credit and shouldn’t be forgotten about, though,” Murphy told bWIN.
“I think he’s a good option to have as third-choice central defender. He’s a Champions League and World Cup finalist and that deserves respect.
“He showed immense character coming back from criticism to put in those performances last season and that’s why Liverpool paid a lot of money for him.”
Liverpool FC have made big improvements to their defence over the past 12 months following the arrival of Van Dijk in a club record deal earlier in 2018.
Klopp signed Alisson Becker in a £67m package from Serie A giants AS Roma in the summer transfer window to finally land a top goalkeeper.
Gomez’s emergence has been a big positive for Liverpool FC and Murphy reckons the England international can blossom into a top player.
Murphy added: “I’ve really liked seeing the Gomez and van Dijk partnership come together this season.
“I think that has to be the first-choice pairing at Liverpool now and I think a lot of fans would agree as well. Gomez has the potential to be a super, super player at Liverpool for the next 10 years.
“He is so quick and so strong he’s capable of even playing in midfield with the talent he has got, but I want to see him at central defence for the long term.”
The 18-time English champions haven’t won the Premier League title but have finished in second place in 2002, 2009 and 2014.
There is a growing sense that this could be Liverpool FC’s season, although the Reds will have to get past Manchester City to get their hands on the title.
