Thiago Alcantara likens Liverpool career to Formula 1 race

The Spain international has had a spell blighted by injuries since his move to Anfield from

in 2020, with a knee injury ruling him out for several months.

He made just 24 appearances in the Premier League last season, starting 20 of them, scoring once.

More injury problems have limited the 30-year-old to eight appearances this season across all competitions. However, he appears to be recovering his finest form.

Speaking to

ahead of their Champions League group stage match with

, Thiago revealed how frustrating that's been.

"At some points it was similar to Formula 1 - stop and go. At the end, you want to have a race with all the laps and I just wanted to play football here, learn as much as I can and help as much as I can,"

he said.

Thiago

also described his role in

Jurgen Klopp

's squad, as well as what inspires him after achieving so much in his career.

"I try to learn what the manager wants for me in the team, and then from what I see on the pitch,"

he added.

"He changes some small details but you have to interpret them to win the game. But I'm a midfielder, as the coach wants me to arrive in the box and to physically be as high as I can.

"Each of us [at Liverpool] we're hungry in every game. First of all we're fully motivated just because we're playing in the Champions League at Anfield against a great team like Porto. But also you have to find out small motivations to make your game even better than it is. The game itself is amazing to play and it's a dream this stadium."

Follow

for the