Suso Preparing to Sign New Contract

"The fans can relax," was Suso's response when asked about his contract situation during an interview on Spanish radio. "Everything's fine. I hope to sign the contract as soon as possible. We have been talking about a contract since the start of the season. We're nearly there—we'll sign soon. I'm happy here, very comfortable. This is the ideal club for me in every sense. This is like a dream for me."

Though there had been speculation the club was working towards a new deal for the promising 18-year-old, given that his current contract had been allowed to run down to its final year there was some concern that the player could end up waiting things out before moving back to Spain in the summer—especially with rumours that Barcelona and Real Madrid were sniffing around. With the club seeking to secure his services long term and now the player's confirmation that a deal is close, though, most Liverpool fans probably can start to relax when it comes to questions of Suso's future.

"Rafa [Benitez] was the one that called me and convinced me to go to Liverpool when I was at Cadiz, but soon after he left. The truth is, I thought that might be a problem and that things might get worse. But Roy Hodgson came in and he was the opposite of what I feared: he called me up to train with the first team, I travelled with them, and was included in the squad at times. It is true that I felt a bit of a change with Kenny Dalglish, but in general the departure of Rafa wasn't the problem that I thought it might be."

Less surprising is that Suso felt somewhat sidelined by Dalglish's attempts to instal a far more English identity at the club than had been the case under previous managers, though it's still disappointing to learn and goes some way to explaining why the young attacker entered this season with his contract running down. More surprising, on the other hand, is his fond remembrance of Roy Hodgson's willingness to ease him towards the first team when he was only 16 years old. Clearly, though, having Brendan Rodgers arrive over the summer has played a massive role in his sudden belief that he can have a future at Liverpool.

"Brendan Rodgers is a coach that if you prove to him that you can perform," he continued. "If you work hard, he has no problem in putting young players in the team. I have started three times and things are going well. It's a gift for me. I'm very happy here, very comfortable."