Meireles loving life on Merseyside

Liverpool midfielder Raul Meireles believes he has benefited from being given more freedom by manager Kenny Dalglish. The 27-year-old initially struggled to hold down a regular position after arriving from Porto in the summer, with former boss Roy Hodgson shunting him out to the right while he tried to find his feet. But the Portugal international, returning to his homeland on Wednesday for a Europa League game against Braga 30 miles from his former home in Oporto, has hit top form since Dalglish took over. "I am very much committed to Liverpool," he said. "I am very happy and living a dream playing for Liverpool because I think they are one of the best clubs in the world - so who wouldn't be happy? "I work every day to be a player who can get better and to please the manager. I always work very hard, it doesn't matter if I am scoring a lot of goals at the moment, the important thing is that I am contributing to the success of the team. "It is a big difference for me that at this moment, with this manager, as I am playing in a different position on the pitch and that is one of the reasons."

Source: PA