Dani: This could be my chance
Daniel Pacheco believes 2012-13 could be a defining season in his fledgling Liverpool career – and the forward is determined to make sure he's in prime condition to ensure he's ready to capitalise on any chances that come his way.
The Spaniard has made two first-team appearances so far this season and has watched on as fellow youngsters such as Raheem Sterling, Suso and Andre Wisdom have established themselves as key components in Brendan Rodgers' squad.
Pacheco remains confident he can follow in their footsteps and has explained why he is aiming to use every single training session at Melwood as a chance to catch the eye of the manager.
He told Liverpoolfc.com: "I am trying to work very hard to get into the team. I've played a few games and I think I did quite well, so hopefully by working every day and playing in games with the U21s, I can get back into the team and play a few more games.
"I hope this is a new opportunity for me. I want to try my best. We have already seen he is giving a chance to the youngsters, so hopefully I will get one in the next few games.
"I think every season is a crucial season for everyone, but maybe because I haven't played that many games in the last seasons, maybe this is the one I can break into the first team - and I'll try my best to try and make that happen."
Pacheco has revealed how he has held talks with Rodgers to determine what role he can play this season - and the 21-year-old was left encouraged by the outcome.
He said: "We've spoken about my situation. In the summer, I was supposed to go on loan to Spain but it didn't happen.
"I went to talk to him and he was very honest with me. He said he would treat me as a professional and an adult. He has given me the chance to try and impress him - so now it is my job to try to do my best.
"His style is definitely a style that suits me. It's the way we like to play in Spain and I've been playing all of my life. We have shown already we are playing good football and I am sure the results will come."
Pacheco's last first-team appearance came in the 2-1 Capital One Cup third-round victory over West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns.
The No.12 turned in an encouraging display in the Midlands and was pleased with his night's work.
"It was a lovely feeling," said Pacheco. "It was a great game for us. We played with quite a few youngsters and to beat West Brom, who had many of their first-team players, was a great night for us. With many of our fans also travelling down to the game, it was a night to remember."
The travelling fans clearly left an impression on Pacheco, who gave his match-worn boots to a Kopite following the final whistle.
He continued: "I thought the fans were great. I didn't expect that many fans to be there on a cold, rainy Tuesday night for a Capital One Cup game.
"In Spain, that many fans travelling away would never happen. I haven't played many games for Liverpool away on these kind of nights, so I was quite impressed with how they were supporting us - even when we were losing 1-0 at the start of the game.
"I thought about going to them and throwing them my shirt. I was going to throw it into the crowd, but then I saw a guy in a wheelchair, so I went straight to him to give him my boots."
Pacheco has been representing Liverpool's U21 side in recent weeks, most recently in Monday's 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium.
It's something he sees as an opportunity to bolster his first-team chances.
He explained: "It is massive. When you are in the first team, it could be easy to drop to the reserves and be lazy, but that is a mistake.
"When you drop down to the reserves, you need to show why you are training with the first team and why you want to get into the team.
"When you drop to the reserves, you drop another player who has been training every single day with them to the bench. He thinks he is going to play until one day before the game when I drop down, so I need to show him I want to play in the first team. "