The club has tied the big centre back down for the next few years
Loyalty and happiness are rare things in football, with managers, players and agents always looking for the next big move or pay day; thinking that the grass is always greener on the other side.
However, that just isn’t the case for Liverpool’s experienced centre-back, Martin Skrtel, who has confirmed he is staying at Anfield for what may be the remainder of has career after signing on the dotted line.
The big Skovakian defender has already been at Anfield for seven and a half years and was keen to ensure he reached a decade at the club. Speaking to Liverpoolfc.com, he said: “My priority was always to have a deal with Liverpool. I’m happy we have got the deal and have agreed everything and I’ve signed the deal.
“When I first came here in 2008, I didn’t expect to be here for such a long time. But now I have signed and it could bring me to 10 years in Liverpool – that would be great. But at the moment, I’m not thinking about that; the main thing and most important thing is the upcoming season. We have to be ready, we have to get fit and be ready for the season.”
The 30 year old has had his detractors over the years, but has been a mainstay under the current manager, despite seeming to fall down the pecking order on a couple of occasions.
Martin has become the Reds’ most experienced and reliable centre back since the departures of Sami Hyypia and Jamie Carragher and the club will be happy to have tied down one of only a handful of experienced players in the squad.
Skrtel has now set his sights on more success at Liverpool, having now signed a new contract and is eager to get back into the Champions League as soon as is possible. He continued: “Yes, we have signed quality players. Our team will be stronger than it was last season and we just have to show that on the pitch. We have got four weeks until the Premier League starts and we are working very hard every day to get fitness. Next we’ll go on tour and we have some friendly games coming. We’ll just try to be ready for the first game, which is Stoke away, and I believe we will be.
“We played in the Champions League last season and if you play in it once, you always want to play in it. That will be the main target for next season, to get a Champions League place, and obviously in the Premier League to be as high as we can. We’ll see, but I think if we go from game to game and try to get as many points as we can, it will be good for us.”
