Coates relishing new challenge
Sebastian Coates admits that the challenge of proving himself in a new country was key to his decision to come to Liverpool.
The Uruguayan 20-year-old was one of the most sought-after young players in world football when the Reds signed him at the end of August.
International team-mate Luis Suarez helped persuade him that Anfield was a great place to be and the temptation to leave his comfort zone and test himself in one of Europe's biggest leagues was too great to resist.
"The biggest attraction was the challenge: to come to an unfamiliar place - a huge club - and make a name for myself," Coates said in an exclusive interview in this week's LFC magazine.
"So far in my career, I have been very lucky; to play for Nacional, to play in the Copa Libertadores, to win the Copa America. There has been a lot of success in a short period of time. But I have achieved that in a place where I am most comfortable.
"Now, I am here, in a different country, in a different league, with different team-mates. The best players are successful wherever they go. I am determined to become an important player here at a historical stage of the club's future."
The central defender also admits that some of Suarez's words had a big influence on his decision.
"He helped me from a professional point of view," Coates added. "I knew about the history; the success and the European Cups, but he also taught me about the nature of the supporters - the way they treat the players. When you're wanted by a club that is famous worldwide - by a club with a history like this - it was impossible to go anywhere else."
The full Sebastian Coates exclusive, plus interviews with Martin Kelly and Jay Spearing, is in this week's LFC magazine.