Friday, August 23, 2013

Agger Looks To Gerrard For Guidance

Daniel Agger has hailed the influence of Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard and says he will follow the midfielder's example after being made vice-captain.

The centre-back, who has been linked with a move to Barcelona in recent weeks, succeeded the recently retired Jamie Carragher for the new season, while goalkeeper Pepe Reina joined Napoli on loan.

And Agger is aware of the responsibilities that come with the armband, and sees Gerrard as the perfect inspiration to follow.

"I always have responsibility, no matter if you're vice-captain or not," Agger told the club's official website. "You have to always be there, always be at the front and, of course, try to help some of the young players.

"Now I have been here for almost eight years and Stevie has been the captain all the way. He is an amazing captain: he is the one I will look at.

"Not only in his football skills, because that speaks for itself, but the person he is and the way he treats people - he's just the best.

"It's the same in every single football team, in every single job - when somebody goes, somebody new has to take over. It has been like that forever. So there's nothing new there. Over the years, the players have changed a lot.

Agger, though, is confident he can shine when the opportunity arises, having captained Denmark of late - an achievement he describes as the pinnacle of a player's career.

He continued: "When I play for Denmark and I'm the captain for Denmark, I've learned a lot in the last 10 years of my career.

"I'm trying to take the best part of all the good things, also from Stevie, and put it together in the way I want to do it. I think that's the best way to describe that.

"It's the biggest thing you can achieve at international level, being captain of your country. Every time I put that armband on, it makes me proud.

"You learn something all the time and when you put that armband on, something happens to you. It's difficult to describe but it's a good thing."

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