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For a man already counted by many as on his way out of the club, Daniel Agger seems to be sticking around. Any future at Barcelona has been ruled out, there have been zero lazy Napoli links since January, and, perhaps most importantly, both the defender and his manager are saying all the lovely reassuring things you want to hear about a player sticking with his current club.
Gentle Reminder
"Daniel is one of a number of excellent players that we have playing at the back," Brendan Rodgers said after Agger led Liverpool out against his boyhood club Brøndby. "He has been unfortunate in the time that I’ve been at the club because the big issue for Dan has been his availability. He has been out injured for a number of games.
"He’s an excellent player, an international captain and he’s had a very good career at Liverpool. He’s at a good age, 29, and his experience can be good for us this season. He signed a new contract last season. You saw [on Wednesday] in the first half that he’s an excellent player, a very good footballer and someone that is an important member of our squad."
A more jaundiced eye might scan these quotes and infer a manager saying the kinds of things he would say of any player, especially one he might be inclined to sell for the right price, but Rodgers identifying Agger as an important player for the club is key. Those looking for further clues as to Agger's starting status on the team might latch onto Rodgers' usage of "squad" as opposed to "first team" or even "the group", but despite the player's own admission that he doesn't see himself as anyone's third choice, he still sees himself at Anfield this coming season.
"If the time is right and everything falls into place then I wouldn’t rule it out," Agger said on a potential return home to Brøndby in the future. "But the timing has to be right. I have thought about it. A lot actually. But I’m here now and that is what I’m focused on.
"As for the rumours, don’t believe everything you hear. My restaurants were sold four years ago and I’ll be surprised and very sad if anyone has put my house up for sale."
Zing! Fans scouring the real estate section of the Liverpool Echo will be disappointed, as will anyone who'd been hoping to dine at one of Agger's old dining establishments due to their connection to the player, but otherwise it sounds like Agger is staying put, at least for the time being, and is very much looking forward to participating in Champions League football with his club come September.
"That's the place you want to be and we are there now," he said. "That will be exciting. "Football is about winning; it's not just being there, it's about winning. It has to be like that for Liverpool Football Club.
"You have to build; we have to do better this year, even though it's going to be difficult. There have been a lot of good new signings. Hopefully we learned a lot from last year and we can take it from there."
