Suso Vows to Work Harder

After breaking into Liverpool's first team early in the season, the next time Suso plays will see the young attacker mark a minor milestone with the 20th appearance of his young career. And in all likelihood, that next appearance will come on Sunday when Oldham Athletic host Liverpool in the FA Cup.

If he is involved against the League One side, it will be one more step in a rapid rise from overlooked youth player—one who was considering options elsewhere under Kenny Dalglish—to an important part of the club's future plans. Despite that, however, it's likely to be much harder for Suso to register his second 20 appearances than it has been to record his first.

With the return of Fabio Borini, the improved form of Stewart Downing, and the arrival of Daniel Sturridge—not to mention talk of Philippe Coutinho's possible signing—all of a sudden there are a lot more players fighting for minutes in Liverpool's attack than was the case in the early going. It's something Suso is well aware of, and he knows he'll have to fight for the chance to impress.

"With Daniel Sturridge coming in and Fabio Borini back from injury there is going to be extra competition for places," he said. "Playing for Liverpool's first team is going to be difficult and it should be because it is one of the best teams in Europe. The competition is good because it makes me determined to work even harder and to get better, but the most important thing is always the team."

Along with a willingness to fight for minutes in Liverpool's suddenly well-stocked attack, Suso also reflected back on his first half-season as a professional footballer in one of Europe's top leagues.

"I'm really happy with the way this season has been going. I think I can still do better but it is my first year and I am getting experience with every game. The Premier League is really difficult and I am only 19 years old so I need to keep working to improve and to learn from all the great players that we have here with lots of experience.

"The biggest thing is that you cannot fall asleep in this team. You always have to work hard every day and show the boss and everyone here that you are playing well. There are a lot of good players and not everyone can play every week but if you don't, the next week you need to show that you are doing well."

With the club strengthening options up front, Suso's time to show just what he can do may not be quite yet despite his involvement so far this season and the promise shown in many of his 19 appearances to date. Yet it hardly seems a stretch any more to suggest that time may not be too far down the road for the young Spaniard.