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Oh, Daniel Agger. The great Dane. A man who does not mince words. A man who generally keeps a low profile and stays out of the spotlight until the international break rolls around once again, forcing him to engage with the media in his capacity as captain of Denmark's national team. A man facing off against his Liverpool teammates as Denmark take on England in a friendly on Wednesday.
Given Liverpool's strength in offense and frustrating frailties in defense this season, a joke has been making the rounds in football circles, asking the question: how many goals could be scored if Liverpool's offense played against Liverpool's defense? The tragicomic results of such a thing happening will be partially tested when Daniels Agger and Sturridge face off against one another, a matchup the defender is relishing.
"I am looking forward to playing against Daniel," Agger said. "It’s going to be a big test for me as he has been in great form for us. Daniel has been scoring a lot of goals and has proven himself at the top level. Without a doubt he has all the ability and skills required to be England’s No. 9 at the World Cup in Brazil."
Agger will be familiar with Sturridge's brand of football from spending every day with him at Melwood, and naturally there will be other factors at play in the match that won't make this entirely a one-on-one affair, but it's always interesting to watch club mates play against each other and use that extra bit of knowledge they might have to their own advantage.
Agger also had kind words for Steven Gerrard, who Agger has pointed to in the past as being an excellent example of the type of leadership he'd like to embody in his own vice-captaincy and captaincy for club and country.
"Steven is fantastic,” said Agger of his captain. "Both as a footballer and as a man. He is very open, despite how big a star he is. He is always thinking about the team. And he is always on your side if you need help. It is quite unique how he tackles the pressure he is under in his daily life.
"We often have some young players who train with us at Melwood. Steven always help them. He talks to them and give them good advice. He helps the young people because he has a great personality."
Thank you, Daniel Agger, for bringing all these warm and fuzzy feelings for our captain to the forefront. Agger isn't especially well known for his soft and squishy side, but when he busts out his inner softy, look out. I believe this is what the kids on the interwebs would describe as "hitting you right in the feels."
