Markovic: I already feel at home here
Lazar Markovic could be one of four players to make his Anfield debut against Aston Villa this afternoon – and it's an experience he can't wait to savour after admitting he's already feeling at home on Merseyside.
The 20-year-old has made two substitute appearances so far, at Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, and is in contention to figure once again against Paul Lambert's side.
And despite only arriving from Benfica in July, Markovic claims he's settled into his new surroundings with ease thanks to his colleagues at Melwood.
"That all depends on the manager and how he sees it," he reflected, when asked by Liverpoolfc.com whether he felt his chances of starting had increased following the news that Daniel Sturridge would be out for up to three weeks with a thigh injury.
"Liverpool are a very competitive team and I like that great competitiveness in the team.
"I haven't started a match yet and I'm very excited and looking forward to making my first start.
"I've sat and watched quite a few matches and the other players have also filled me in [on what to expect at Anfield], so I'm already familiar with it.
"I've settled extremely well. I've been here two months now and everybody's been very helpful and I already feel at home.
"My teammates and the manager have all been superb and I've had a tremendous amount of help from all of them."
In his two cameo run-outs, Markovic has clocked up 58 minutes of action - but he feels he's already experienced what sets the Barclays Premier League apart.
The Serbia winger added: "The only thing I can say is it's one of the hardest leagues, and there's a certain amount of experience I got from the Manchester City and Tottenham games.
"It's a young team for me, an all-new team. But we're playing absolutely superbly and I think we'll go a long way.
"They're all absolutely fantastic players and they're all very helpful. I get on great with all of them."