Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has described Martin Skrtel as one of the "best" central defenders in the Premier League.
The Slovakian has cemented a spot in the Reds' first team after struggling to make the starting lineup in the closing stages of last season and the first few games of the current campaign.
"I look at Martin Skrtel and I see someone who was proved me right," Rodgers told the club's official magazine. "He hasn't proved me wrong, I think he's proved me right.
"Last year I felt he was rash and made mistakes. Now he's arguably one of the best centre-halves in the Premier League."
Skrtel was linked with a move away from Anfield during the summer transfer window, but an exit failed to materialise.