Liverpool centre-back Dejan Lovren believes he is consistently improving under the management of Jürgen Klopp and says he's capable of getting even better yet.
The Croatian international's improvement under the German was aptly demonstrated in the Reds' 4-2 win over Crystal Palace last Saturday.
His substandard back-pass allowed James McArthur to equalise for the Eagles just minutes after Emre Can had stabbed the visitors ahead at Selhurst Park, looping up into the air to allow McArthur to head over Loris Karius as the goalkeeper came from his line.
It was a moment reminiscent of his error-strewn first 12 months on Merseyside, in which Lovren desperately failed to live up to the £20 million fee that Liverpool paid Southampton to sign him in the summer of 2014.
Yet, within minutes, Lovren made up for his mistake by meeting Philippe Coutinho's corner-kick delivery and heading between the legs of Palace shot-stopper Steve Mandanda.
Liverpool went on to win the game 4-2, extending their unbeaten run in all competitions to 11 games and keeping them on the same point as Premier League leaders Manchester City.
And Lovren saluted the mentality that the players at the club have had to adopt under Klopp as he spoke about his Anfield career thus far, as well as declaring that he can still improve.
I can still be 'a better player', insists Croatian
On his first few months at Liverpool, Lovren explained that he came to the club both "in good form" and "really mentally strong", insisting he "had confidence" for the first few games of the campaign.
Speaking to Liverpoolfc.com, he explained: "It wasn't about performing better. I was just searching for my form in the beginning of the season, from Southampton to here. It took time."
The defender insisted that individual players "can't do it alone when the whole team is not doing well" and admitted his first year was "really difficult" because of the scrutiny he received for his errors.
Lovren called it "an unlucky time" for him because "people expect straight away when you pay so much for a player", adding that it is "in the small details" and "all the small things are a big part on the pitch to have a good result at the end."
But the Reds' No.6 said that Klopp's arrival "changed everything" and that he "had my confidence" again, insisting that he is still "growing better and better with him" and he can still "be a better player."
Lovren: Players at Liverpool 'need to be ready to work hard'
Lovren declared that self-belief and mental strength has been crucial for helping him transform his fortunes at Liverpool.
He said that he "understands the fans" and hoped that they understand him in return and appreciate "how the situation was."
"The most important thing is that these kind of players, who are really strong mentally, will never stop fighting," the 27-year-old declared.
Lovren said that he and former Southampton teammate Adam Lallana, who followed him to L4 in the same summer, "went through this" and suggested it "says a lot about mental strength" that the pair and "a couple more players have really improved."
The defender insisted that "you need to be mentally strong if you want to compete" because "every three or four days" they have to play "big games" and endure "a lot of stress."
"You need to be ready to work hard. Nothing comes easy in life," Lovren continued, declaring that the Liverpool squad "never stop believing in ourselves" which is why "we are still here and have positive comments about us" and is what "drives us for the future."