Share

Emre Can has one goal... and that is to play

Cape Town - Emre Can says he's a "very bad watcher" as he works to secure a starting berth in the Liverpool team under Jurgen Klopp this season.

The 22-year-old former Bayern Munich midfielder suffered an ankle injury following a delayed return to pre-season as a result of his participation at Euro 2016.

He has had to watch from the sidelines for much of the season as Klopp employed a midfield trio of Adam Lallana, captain Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum.

Despite admitting his delight with Liverpool's progress so far, the deep-lying play maker would naturally rather be playing.

"I am a very, very bad watcher," he told the club's official website. "Of course I’m always happy when my team wins, but it’s always different when you play."

"I have to work hard. I have to get fitness back. If I get game time - which is always different to training - I have to work hard on my game and get confidence again.

"That’s very important for me. I haven’t played so many minutes this season but of course my target is to play a lot of minutes again.

"It is always better to play and be on the pitch. For me, it has been a little bit unlucky so far this season because I came back a little bit late and had a very short break after the Euros.

"Then I came back and got an injury. The team did very well and then I came back and it was not easy to get back into the team. Now I have to continue the work, I have to work hard. And I am confident enough that if I am ready and fit, I will play one day."

Up next for Liverpool is the visit of Manchester United to Anfield, and Can revealed the club have been working extra hard to prepare for the game.

"Now we have a lot of training sessions before the Manchester United game, and we can do a lot of stuff," Can went on to explain.

"We have to do it, of course - we have to work hard. It is a little bit different to normal sessions because we can do more.

"Everybody is working really well here in the club, on and off the pitch. The manager has the staff behind the staff and everybody is very important for the team."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1140 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1315 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2013 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE