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Despite an impressive start to life at Liverpool, to say things haven't gone as Joe Allen would have planned since his Anfield move would be an understatement. Now that he's fit again, he's determined to push his way back into the starting eleven, and while for many Liverpool players the current international break is largely a chance for injury in games that don't matter, for Allen it's a chance to work his way back towards match fitness and just maybe do something that would get Brendan Rodgers' attention.
"I'm working hard and waiting patiently for my chance," the midfielder said, "but Liverpool is a massive club and we are having a great season. The competition for places is really good and you want that at a top club, [so] I have to work as hard as I can to get back into the fold. You want to see your team doing well, especially when you are out injured—the lift you get is from seeing your team doing well. Hopefully with the momentum we are gaining now we can keep going and in an ideal world I would like to be a big part of that."
Through his struggles with injuries in 2013 and though he has recently found himself stuck on the bench even when fit, Allen continues to say all the right things, never complaining about his situation despite the £15M transfer fee Liverpool paid for him that spoke to his status as an expected starter for years to come. Rather than making a fuss, Allen has continued to put his head down and signal that he'll only work harder to push his way back into Rodgers' plans. Hopefully the chance he'll get on international duty this week will help him do just that.
Wales only have one friendly match this international break, taking on Finland on Saturday. Allen is expected to start and then return to Liverpool early to train with the squad ahead of next week's derby match against Everton.