Alexis Mac Allister is happy to sacrifice himself - if it means Jurgen Klopp leaves Liverpool as a Premier League champion.
The Argentine World Cup winner has been forced to curb his natural attacking instincts to operate in a more withdrawn role since arriving at Anfield in a £35million move from Brighton last summer.
But the Reds have stormed clear at the top of the Premier League - and Klopp’s announcement that he is quitting Liverpool at the end of the season has only stiffened his team’s resolve to make sure the boss gets the perfect going-away present.
“The manager saying he is leaving has given us a greater incentive,” said Mac Allister. “I don't know if that was his idea when he made the announcement, but it's definitely become an incentive.
"We all know what Jurgen means to this club and the fans - and we want the best for him. We really understand and respect his decision and now we want to do our best to give him a very good season before he leaves.
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"I like the way I am playing. I like that I'm helping my team-mates if they need any protection. In the position I am playing now, it's more about the defensive things. But at that same time, I'm able to get on the ball a lot and I really like it. I always said it was a position I really like and I think I can do it very well."
Mac Allister’s versatility made him key part of the Argentina squad that became world champions Qatar last winter. But he admits that being asked to anchor Liverpool’s midfield was not part of the plan when he agreed to move to Merseyside.
Now he’s at a club that’s chasing a quadruple, with the Reds already in the Carabao Cup Final through to the last 16 of both the FA Cup and Europa League. Mac Allister said: “It was clearly not the idea, but things changed.
Alexis Mac Allister wants to win the title for Jurgen Klopp (AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)“At the beginning of the season, we didn't have a proper No 6 so I had to do the job - and Jurgen likes it! So I try to do my best and it's all about helping the team. It's quite different, because as a normal No 8 you need to be able to carry the ball more and use it more further forward.
“Playing deeper is maybe a little bit easier in some respects because you get more space and more time when you're on the ball. But it's about understanding the game and my team-mates help me a lot. They make it easier for me.”
Liverpool will meet Chelsea at Wembley next month having smashed the Londoners 4-1 in midweek to maintain their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League. They now travel to title rivals Arsenal just two weeks after knocking the Gunners out of the FA Cup with a 2-0 win at the Emirates.
Mac Allister added: “Confidence is very high at the moment - but when you beat a team like Chelsea 4-1 it's going to be high. But we expect a very hard game at Arsenal, like it was in the FA Cup. It was a very tough game, they have very good players, they know what they want to do and have a clear idea of what they need to do.
“They want to win the game, just like we do. It's clear that we have improved a lot now as a team since the beginning of the season. You can see that every player who comes into the team knows exactly what they have to do.
“We are really pleased with our performances so far but we know that we've only just gone past the halfway mark in the season. We need to keep going. We know the potential of this team. If we keep playing like we are and did against Chelsea, then we can achieve something this season.”
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