Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has admitted that he was "surprised" with how Alberto Moreno handled spending much of last season on the substitutes' bench.
Due to the form of James Milner, Moreno made just two starts in the Premier League, but the Spaniard has been a regular in Klopp's plans this campaign with 14 starts being made in all competitions.
Klopp has revealed that he was open about his plans to sign another left-back this season, but it was Moreno's decision to stay to fight with Andrew Robertson for a regular place in the team.
The 50-year-old told the club's official website: "I never had something like this. I never had it to be honest. This season is not a surprise, the surprise is how (he) dealt with last season. There was not one bad word in the whole season.
"Yes, he was in my office. Yes, he asked what he could do better, and we spoke about the things he had to do better. On the other hand, Milly (James Milner) played really well and he's a machine. He could play every two days, so there was not a lot of reasons to make the change then - he had no rhythm.
"I felt that it was unfair after the season. I thought 'damn, we didn't use him often enough'. Before the season, he came to my office and asked again, and I told him we [would] get another full-back, but it was not the plan for Milly to be in the full-back race again, so you decide what happens - and he decided it.
"How he reacted on last year is really, really good. He's now a much better defender. That's how it is; he's a brilliant footballer."
Only Joel Matip, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino have played more minutes than Moreno in the first team this season.
Darren Plant
