'Emre Can has never hidden - he's a real team player'
Emre Can's attitude has been cited by John Barnes as the catalyst for the midfielder's upturn in form for Liverpool during recent months.
After an opening half of the season derailed by injury and subsequent recovery, the Germany international re-established himself in the team with a series of strong performances in the centre of the pitch.
His spectacular Goal of the Season at Watford might have created most of the headlines with regards to Can, but the No.23’s application caught Barnes’ eye more than anything else.
“Jürgen Klopp likes hard-working midfield players, look at [Jordan] Henderson, Can and [Georginio] Wijnaldum,” the 53-year-old told Liverpoolfc.com at the LFC World event in Shanghai.
“Can has had a bit of a hard time with the fans at times, but what I like about the Liverpool fans is that if the manager backs you, they back you, regardless of how they may feel.
“What I always say to fans is to forget about what you think about how well a player is doing; if he is doing what the manager wants – regardless of what you want him to do – you have to appreciate that.
“And Can is a real team player. You ask him to play anywhere and he works hard. Sometimes he plays at the back, sometimes he plays in midfield.
“One of the three midfield players is a very hard role for Liverpool because it involves a lot of work. He has adapted well to anything you’ve asked him to do.
“He has never hidden and he has always wanted to get on the ball. He has showed a lot of determination and a lot of heart. The easiest thing to do if things aren’t going particularly well is to hide and not want the ball and shy away, but he’s never done that.”