England winger Stewart Downing admits he faces a challenge to fight his way into the Liverpool team, but is relishing the battle.
Downing arrived for £20 million from Aston Villa this summer and, with Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam also being added to an already cluttered midfield area, he is not guaranteed a spot in the starting XI.
Instead, he will have to prove that he has what it takes to complement skipper Steven Gerrard, who played an integral role in convincing Downing to sign for the Reds.
"If you have a mixture of the foreign lads and the British then it is a good mix I think," Downing told the Mirror. "I knew Steven and Carra before I came and they said 'good atmosphere, great set of lads, we work very hard'. The manager is demanding and that is something I wanted to sample.
"Once I knew I had a chance of coming to Anfield I spoke to him but he didn't really have to sell the club to me. It is a pull already. It has been brilliant and training has been really good. It is a challenge to get in this team and do well."
He is hoping that a move to Liverpool will ignite his stuttering England career, which he admits is a source of disgruntlement at present. "I hope I can become an integral part for England," Downing said. "So far I would say my England career has been frustrating."
Liverpool begin their Premier League season at home to Sunderland on Saturday.
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