Agger to fight for place

10 June 2009 11:05
Daniel Agger says he was made 'no promises' about his place in the Liverpool team when he agreed to sign a new contract. The Danish defender ended months of speculation by agreeing to a five-year deal in May, although he revealed over the weekend that he had yet to put pen-to-paper. There were suggestions that Agger only wanted to commit his future to the club if he was given assurances about regular first-team football. However, the 24-year-old accepts that no such guarantees can be made at Anfield and he is looking forward to fighting for his spot. "In football you can't get any promises from the manager about when you are going to play, and especially not at a club like Liverpool where we have so many talented players all competing for places," he said. "I believe I am good enough to play regularly in this team and that is what I want to do." Agger is confident Liverpool can enjoy a successful period over the next few years and he hopes to be heavily involved. "I believe this team, with the players we have, will be able to challenge for many honours and trophies over the next few years," he told the club's official website. "I think I have a chance to play in this team, otherwise I would not be staying at the club. "And I really like this city, and I like the people who live here. It's not the same as my home town, Copenhagen, but I actually really like where I live. That is important. "I believe if you have a happy, settled and comfortable life outside the pitch then you're going to be a much better player on it." Rafa Benitez could decide to bring in a new centre-back following Sami Hyypia's departure but Agger has been buoyed by the manager's faith in him. "Of course, if you have a manager who tells you that he is confident in your ability and he believes in you and what you can bring to the team, then that is also important," said Agger. "The manager has done this by coming to me and offering me the contract."

Source: SKY_Sports