Liverpool

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: 'I've had to adapt my game at Liverpool'

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 17 November 2017

Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain says that he 'understands' why boss Jurgen Klopp has slowly integrated him into the side since his £40m arrival in August.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has admitted that he has faced a challenge adapting to a new club following his switch from Arsenal to Liverpool in the summer.

The England international made a high-profile move between the Premier League rivals, bringing an end to his six-year spell in North London to join the Reds in a £40m deal.

Oxlade-Chamberlain has taken time to find his feet on Merseyside, being handed his first Premier League start last time out in the 4-1 win against West Ham United, which he marked with a second goal in Liverpool colours.

Ahead of Saturday's meeting with another of his former clubs in Southampton, the 24-year-old believes that he is now at a stage where he can regularly start games under boss Jurgen Klopp.

"It's been a change for me," he told Sky Sports News. "You want to come to a new club and hit the ground running straightaway and maybe I didn't do that as quickly as I would have liked. Obviously, competition for places is really high here, as I expected, but you're always eager to be playing straightaway and starting as many games as possible.

"That hasn't been the case as much but I've learnt a lot and I feel like I've adapted well to the requirements of the manager, the coaches and the boys as well. But it's been a good integration into this team, and I'm happy with the way it's gone. It's just important now that I push on. I learned a big change in the style of play under a new manager. Arsene [Wenger] is a great manager and he's proved that for many years.

"His philosophy and style of play is based on the 'Arsenal way' of playing, with his passing game, which is brilliant and works very well for him. Jurgen is very demanding and he makes clear to us our roles and responsibilities, and the intensity that he wants out of us. My focus is mainly getting my head down here at Liverpool, and producing the performances here to deserve England call-ups.

"I understand that we're all under that pressure all the time so that's what I'm focused on, just staying in the fold this season for England. Obviously with it being a World Cup year, it's important to be a part of as many England squads as you can be, so that's my task going forward. I need to be creating goals, and scoring goals as an attacking player."

Oxlade-Chamberlain, who was not a part of the Three Lions' latest squad, has two goals and no assists in 11 appearances for Liverpool since arriving.