Liverpool's Joao Teixeira understands that the upcoming season is likely to determine whether or not he has a future with the Reds, and he believes that he can prove he does.
The 22-year-old enjoyed a fruitful spell on loan at Brighton and Hove Albion last season, scoring six goals in 35 games and being named as the club's Young Player of the Year, despite them being just his temporary employers.
Teixeira also won Liverpool's Academy Player of the Year award and has carried the impressive form responsible for these accolades into pre-season with the Reds, having recovered incredibly well from a broken leg suffered in April when playing against Huddersfield Town for Brighton.
Player cancelled his summer plans to focus on rehabilitation
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo about that injury, Teixeira explains that he "fractured [his] fibula and damaged two ankle ligaments," which led to "surgery" and a summer "spent with the Liverpool physios" as he tried "to get back fit as quickly as [he] possibly could."
He reveals that he put his holiday plans aside to thoroughly focus on his recovery, saying that he "didn't have a holiday" and instead "spent the time getting fit." The Portuguese midfielder admits this was because he "knew how important this pre-season period would be" for him personally, and thus he "didn't want to miss the tour."
Commitment to recovery now paying dividends
Teixeira's hard-work certainly paid off as he was fit and firing just three months later, looking sharp and putting on some brilliant performances in the still ongoing pre-season campaign.
One of his highlights was scoring from 40 yards in a practice match against Felda United on Thursday, something the player admitted "was a nice goal to score."
Talking through the strike, he said that he noticed "the goalkeeper wasn't in a great position" and, after trying his luck, he "was pleased to see it go in." This incredible vision and confidence to try something spectacular are two main attributes that Teixeira can boast, two that have allowed to shine on the Reds pre-season tour and two that are seeing him stake a claim for a role in the team this year, despite there being a large number of challengers for his preferred attacking midfield position.
Philippe Coutinho, Lazar Markovic and Adam Lallana will all compete with him for the number 10 role, as well as new signing Roberto Firmino, though all can be utilised out wide too, where Teixeira may see his first opportunities given the competition.
His bid to earn a place in the team has been aided by his spell with Brighton, he believes, adding that he thinks he "improved a lot last season" as there was a lot to learn from the Championship, which he describes as "a really physical and quick league."
Playing "against so many experienced players" was "good" for him, Teixeira recognises, but he is now just "very happy to be back at Liverpool" and understands how "important" it has been for him to get good game time with the first team this summer already.
Teixeira desperate to make it at Anfield
The season ahead is his big focus though, with the 22-year-old stating that "it's a big season" for him.
Teixeira joined Liverpool from Sporting Lisbon in 2012 for a fee of £800,000, and now he's in his third year with the club, he believes his time is now at Anfield. The youngster is desperate to be a part of the club too, saying that he "really want[s]...to play for Liverpool." Teixeira admits that he is "working hard" and "waiting for [his] chance," and when he gets it he will "do everything [he] can to take it."
Still, before these chances even come, the player knows that "the manager is watching" in training and when he gets minutes on the pitch, and thus he does "whatever [he] can to impress him" even in these small moments.
The Portuguese youth international admitted that he doesn't know "where [he] fit[s] into [Brendan Rodgers'] plans" yet this season, but that he will "speak about that" with the manager when pre-season ends and is hopeful about receiving good news.