Despite being Liverpool's fourth most expensive ever signing, after failing to impress in his first season at the club Stewart Downing has found himself shifted to left back while the 17-year-old Raheem Sterling starts ahead of him on the wing. For Downing, though, even if he'd prefer to play in attack if the choice were his, the only thing that really matters at the end of the day is getting the chance to play, period.
"I just want to play," he said when asked about his new role at Liverpool ahead of England's World Cup qualifier against Ukraine on Tuesday. "I think for me it's a case of being adaptable and playing anywhere In the modern game you have to be able to play in two or three positions.
"First and foremost I'm an attacking player but if the manager needs me to help out at the back then I'm willing to do so. It has been demanding. I was up and down the wing and it involved a lot of running, but as long as you are involved in the game and get plenty of the ball you tend to enjoy it more.
"I played there a few times at Aston Villa but I played there during the Uefa Cup campaign with Middlesbrough. I was playing wing-back, similar to how I have done in recent games here at Liverpool, so I think that's what the manager has seen and maybe he thinks I can do the job there."