Lucas: Liverpool FC is in my heart

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/lucas-liverpool-fc-heart-feel-10031728

Regardless on the arguments from some about his ability IMO he is just what we need someone who's heart is at the club.

When Lucas Leiva runs out at Old Trafford on Saturday night, he could just as easily be found in the away end with the other few thousand Reds who will have made the short journey along the East Lancs Road.
For the 28-year-old Brazilian – Liverpool’s longest-serving player since the departure of Steven Gerrard – now feels such a connection with the club’s fans that he makes no separation between himself and them.
“I’m one of them. That’s how I feel. The fans play a big part, in a good and a bad way. They are the voice of the club. Of course they don’t make the last decision, but they are a big part of the decision they make,” he said.
In the week that Lucas spoke openly for the first time about how close he came to leaving Liverpool for Turkey this summer, you suspect he believes the views of thousands of fans that he should remain at Anfield had at least a part to play in maintaining an association which stretches back to May 2007 and his £5m arrival from Gremio.

It is typical Lucas that he is speaking as he takes part in a coaching session for kids with disabilities at St Margaret’s School in Aigburth organised by the LFC Foundation and delivered every week by a committed group of coaches. Similar events take place in the Wirral too, as well as separate wheelchair sessions and coaching for adults too.
It is also typical he is here with 18-year-old Jordan Rossiter, fresh from his Premier League debut last month and the sort of holding midfielder that some say could be the heir in waiting in the ‘Lucas-role’.

The Brazilian’s community work on Merseyside is such that he was recognised this year by a special award from the LFC Former Players’ Association, 5Times.
To the player though it comes naturally.
“I’ve been through a lot here. Liverpool, it’s my home, I always showed commitment for the club and I always will because I’m so grateful for what Liverpool did for me. I just try to repay it by working hard.
When you come here you realise life is good
“I always say Brazil is a country where we really need this kind of work. Unfortunately I’m far away and the LFC Foundation invited me to be one of their ambassadors and I couldn’t say no because they support such good causes and this one is one of them.
“You can see all the kids enjoying it and trying to improve and smiling – that’s what you want to see. Kids who might not have the same opportunity as us but they do everything they can to enjoy it and have fun. I have kids and I know how important is for them to have fun and enjoy life. When you come here you realise life is good and that’s the main reason I like to come here and enjoy it as much as possible.”

So when the 20-year-old from Dourados first stepped into Anfield, could he ever have envisaged a situation where he was the senior pro in the dressing room with 277 appearances behind him?
“I didn’t think it would happen. To be in a club like Liverpool for so long is not easy. If you’re committed and are professional and work hard, you get the rewards. My reward is being here for so long and you keep fighting because this club has been part of my life for eight years and for sure it will never go away.
“Jordan is just coming through the Academy, he’s from Liverpool and he’s showing that he’s got a big future ahead of him.”
After being left out of Brendan Rodgers’ first two squads this season, injury to Jordan Henderson brought Lucas back into the starting line-up in an impressive showing against Arsenal before maintaining his place for the Anfield no-show against West Ham.

With a possible move to Besiktas shelved, he is now focused entirely on Saturday and a game the importance of which no-one need remind him.
“It’s always a big game, Manchester United against Liverpool, a massive derby.
“We just have to make sure we go well, we go there with the right mentality and believing that we can get points. I think we showed especially against Arsenal that we can challenge.
“Of course we had a bad result against West Ham but we just need to put that away and hopefully we’ll get a result.
“The teams are arriving in the same situation, the same points, a lot of signings, a new team and it’s going to be interesting to see how we go.
“It’s not been a normal week for us because of the international break. So players come back late and probably we will only get the chance to meet all together tomorrow (Friday). A few players just played two days ago so they were in recovery so tomorrow we’ll get everyone on the same session and talk through about the game and prepare ourselves.”

 

#shouldbecaptain

 

He's the longest serving player at the club now (ignoring youth players that have been here since they were 9).

He he obviously loves the club and loyalty works both ways, club should show him some. Glad e wants to stay and fight for a place, he deserves a place in the squad there is no doubt.

There re will be games where he isn't needed and we can play a more attacking DM (slight contradiction I know) in can who offers more going forward, but he showed in arsenal game he can have an important part to play

 

Nice story about Lucas, makes a change from Gerrard's sniping, he's at it again today saying he wanted to stay and take a coaching job at LFC.
Mustn't have mentioned it to those that matter at the club or we'd have heard about it before now.

 

So he was going to join Besiktas but Rodgers kept him on the back of one performance.

Says everything really.

And no - loyalty doesn't work both ways. There's a reason why Lucas has been 'loyal' and it's because he hasn't had better offers. No doubt that he would have been quick to leave if a bigger club came in for him with the right offer, and who would blame a player for making that decision? So there's no reason for clubs not to do the same.

The club should be ruthless pretty much all the time - we cannot carry passengers nor be sentimental.

Of course, we should still act respectfully and with dignity but not show blind loyalty.

 

I've always liked Lucas. He's developed a lot since he first came but playing ability aside, we need players with his attitude - pair the two up, ability and attitude, and you have a strong 'work force'.

 

I disagree with the sentimentality part a fit Lucas who wants to play for Liverpool is worth more than the merc we may get to play in place of him. Modern football is suffering from the money being banded about and as much as I agree that if lets say Barca had come calling he'd be off I dare say that if City had come in he'd stay unlike some other I could mention. Loyalty and the understanding of a club is something precious, we should never have sold Agger as he was the same and would be much more affective in a reduced playing role than Kolo Bloody Toure. It's the same with Lucas, he may not be first on the team sheet but he is dedicated to the cause and that at times gets you precious points.

 

For me, I rather a merc if he is quality. Get 2-3 years of quality service from him, than 10 years of average performances from someone who is loyal.

I know Lucas is highly rated by some but the guy is not a patch on other DM's in the league or in anywhere else. We still haven't replaced Mascherano.

 

Yeah I get that we simply disagree on his quality and contribution so any argument is pointless, just thought I'd post my thinking on him.

 

And does Lucas want to play for Liverpool? He was close to joining Inter in Jan and Besiktas in the summer. He wasn't the one who pulled the plug on the deal.

 

Not surprisingly, I'm with you

 

I couldn't really see Agger himself wanting to stay if he was officially reduced to a supporting role. Yes, LFC is in his blood, but as a professional surely he'd prefer to be playing full time with someone rather than sitting watching?
He's what, 30 now? He's had an injury blighted career, sadly, so I'd expect him to want to play as much football as he can while he still can.
We could yet see him back at the club in some capacity in the future.
Kolo is well past it so is presumably happy to just be back-up, and I imagine his experience is useful in the dressing-room and on the training field.

 

I agree, he may well have not wanted to stay in that capacity but I don't think it was offered and feel that he may well have considered it if the opportunity of leave of play a back up role was on the table.

 

I don't know what was offered to him, but I know that if I was a player with his history, at his age, I'd just want to get as much game time in as I could in the years left to me.
I don't don't think it shows disloyalty from either party for a highly- regarded player to move on under those circumstances.
Bitterness only occurs when the players start gobbing off - after they've left- about how badly they were treated, imo.

 

I agree, I've no problem with how it was done as far as I know. What was offered or not is something I'm not aware of. I'd would have liked us to have offered him a back up role and for him to have agreed.

 

Mate you pay far too much attention to the gossip columns.

 

Lucas finding it hard to sell himself to anyone.

 

That's brilliant Page. How anyone doesn't recognise them, I don't know.

 

They must be Norwegians.

 

You're right - actual quotes from the player himself are reduced to 'gossip'.