IT’S FIVE YEARS since Liverpool were last in the Champions League, but new signing Emre Can is confident that his team will quickly find their feet in this year’s competition.
The German Under-21 international completed his £10 million move to last year’s Premier League runner-ups in July, one of three new signings with Champions League experience from the 2013 season.
“I am really confident about us going into the Champions League this season,” the former Bayer Leverkusen midfielder told the Liverpool Echo.
Liverpool's new signing Emre Can in action during the Pre-Season. Martin Rickett
Martin Rickett
“The whole team, the whole club and the city is looking forward to getting back in the Champions League because Liverpool haven’t played there for a couple of years.”
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The Anfield outfit – five-time winners of Europe’s premier club competition – have not featured in the tournament since the 2009-10 season, when they fell at the group stage.
Along with Can, both Lazar Markovic and Javier Manquillo join Liverpool this year with Champions League appearances from the 2013-2014 campaign.
Celebrating after scoring against Mexico during a semi final match of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Mexico 2011. AP / Press Association Images
AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images
Can, who made seven appearances in the competition for Bayer Leverkusen last season, feels that confidence is high among his team-mates.
“I had the pleasure of playing in the Champions League last year with my old club and it’s a special thing to play in the Champions League.”
Since 2009, Liverpool’s continental involvement has been restricted to three runs to the knockout rounds of the UEFA Europa League, but a second-placed finish in the Premier League last term earned them a return to the promised land of the Champions League.
The German defensive midfielder, who can also operate on the left side of midfield or at left-back, is one of seven Liverpool signings brought in by manager Brendan Rodgers so far this summer.
Liverpool's Jamie Carragher following his final appearance for the club. Peter Byrne
Peter Byrne
The 20-year-old who now wears Jamie Carragher’s number 23 jersey, has represented Germany at every level from Under-15 upwards, although he is of Turkish decent.
When sold by Bayern Munich in 2013, with the intentions of ensuring the youngster could gain the necessary first-team experience to return to the club much like Toni Kroos had done in 2009, the midfielder was described as ‘one of the biggest talents in German football’ by Bayern Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
Liverpool's new German signing Can't wait for Champions League football at Anfield
IT’S FIVE YEARS since Liverpool were last in the Champions League, but new signing Emre Can is confident that his team will quickly find their feet in this year’s competition.
The German Under-21 international completed his £10 million move to last year’s Premier League runner-ups in July, one of three new signings with Champions League experience from the 2013 season.
“The whole team, the whole club and the city is looking forward to getting back in the Champions League because Liverpool haven’t played there for a couple of years.”
The Anfield outfit – five-time winners of Europe’s premier club competition – have not featured in the tournament since the 2009-10 season, when they fell at the group stage.
Along with Can, both Lazar Markovic and Javier Manquillo join Liverpool this year with Champions League appearances from the 2013-2014 campaign.
Can, who made seven appearances in the competition for Bayer Leverkusen last season, feels that confidence is high among his team-mates.
Since 2009, Liverpool’s continental involvement has been restricted to three runs to the knockout rounds of the UEFA Europa League, but a second-placed finish in the Premier League last term earned them a return to the promised land of the Champions League.
The German defensive midfielder, who can also operate on the left side of midfield or at left-back, is one of seven Liverpool signings brought in by manager Brendan Rodgers so far this summer.
The 20-year-old who now wears Jamie Carragher’s number 23 jersey, has represented Germany at every level from Under-15 upwards, although he is of Turkish decent.
When sold by Bayern Munich in 2013, with the intentions of ensuring the youngster could gain the necessary first-team experience to return to the club much like Toni Kroos had done in 2009, the midfielder was described as ‘one of the biggest talents in German football’ by Bayern Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
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