Oxlade-Chamberlain Insists He Is Ready to Fight for a Place at Liverpool After Difficult Start
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has claimed that he is prepared to fight for his place in the Liverpool starting lineup, following multiple appearances as a substitute for the Reds.
The 24-year-old arrived at Anfield on transfer deadline day for an initial fee believed to be around £35m, but has only managed to start once for his new team - in the Carabao Cup defeat to Leicester.
Speaking about his position at the club, the Ox has said that he'll need to fight for his place in a competitive starting line-up.
“It’s a competitive team that I’ve come in to,” he told BT Sport. “Everyone’s fighting for their place and I’m just ready for when I get the opportunity."
Oxlade-Chamberlain netted his first goal for the Reds this week, after he came off the bench in their 0-7 thumping of Maribor in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
He added: “I need to keep developing and learning a new style of play here and get used to that and then whenever I get my opportunities, try to do as well as I can.”
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The former Southampton starlet left Arsenal in search of more regular game time in his favoured central position, but Jurgen Klopp has admitted that he will (at least initially) be used as a winger.
In that respect, the England international has so far found himself behind the likes of Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and Philippe Coutinho in the pecking order for attacking positions.
Liverpool face a tough test in their next fixture when they travel to Wembley to face Tottenham on Sunday. After opening his Liverpool scoring account, Oxlade-Chamberlain will want to prove himself with a performance against one the Reds' biggest rivals for those top four places this season.
Oxlade-Chamberlain managed to impress in his ten minute appearance in Liverpool's draw against Manchester United last weekend, and he will be eager to give Klopp further food for thought when considering his future starting lineups.
