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Lucas Leiva is approaching testimonial territory.

The Liverpool midfielder is just six months away from clocking up a decade of service to the club.

If the Brazilian is handed a showpiece game at Anfield it would be just reward for a man who has given so much to the cause and made a habit of triumphing in the face of adversity.

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His longevity at Liverpool during a period of such sweeping changes is remarkable. Bought by Rafa Benitez from Gremio for £5million in May 2007, he has gone on to play under five different Reds managers.

Lucas’ loyalty is underlined by the fact that only five overseas players in the club’s 124-year history have stuck around longer. They are Arthur Riley (South Africa, 1925-1940), Berry Nieuwenhuys (South Africa, 1933-1947), Bruce Grobbelaar (Zimbabwe, 1981-1994), Jan Molby (Denmark, 1984-1996) and Sami Hyypia (Finland, 1999-2009).

Hyypia (318), Pepe Reina (285), Martin Skrtel (242) and John Arne Riise (234) are the only foreign stars who can beat Lucas’ current tally of 227 Premier League outings for Liverpool.

It’s never been plain sailing for him. Lucas arrived at Anfield at the age of 20 with long locks and a reputation as a box-to-box midfielder having become the youngest ever winner of the prestigious Bola de Ouro (Golden Ball) in his homeland.

He endured a baptism of fire as he adjusted to the demands of English football. With Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano for competition, he was restricted to 25 league starts across two seasons.

As Benitez reinvented him as a defensive midfielder, Lucas became an easy scapegoat for fans’ frustration. Being booed during a goalless draw with Fulham at Anfield was a low point.

After the sale of Alonso to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009, Lucas finally became a regular and set about silencing his doubters.

Benitez’s exit in 2010 was followed by managing director Christian Purslow telling him that he could leave if a suitable offer arrived. Rather than throw in the towel, Lucas vowed to stay and fight for his place.

He was one of the few to shine during Roy Hodgson’s dismal tenure and then starred in the resurgence under Kenny Dalglish. Admiration for him on the Kop blossomed and in 2011 he was voted Liverpool Player of the Season.

During the early months of the 2011/12 season there wasn’t a better holding midfielder in the Premier League but that November he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee at Stamford Bridge.

Cruelly, he was forced to sit and watch as Steven Gerrard lifted the League Cup at Wembley. He belatedly received a winners’ medal after Dalglish requested one was specially struck. Lucas was sorely missed as Liverpool’s league campaign fell to bits and Dalglish lost his job.

Under Brendan Rodgers, Lucas regained his fitness, earned a new contract and played his part in the title challenge of 2013/14.

In recent years his future has regularly been the subject of speculation. In the 2014/15 season Liverpool turned down interest from Napoli and Inter Milan. The following summer Rodgers pulled the plug on a transfer to Besiktas at the 11th hour after Jordan Henderson was sidelined by a heel injury.

Galatasaray were desperate to sign him

They were difficult days for Lucas. One minute he was moving his young family to Turkey, the next he was staying put. But it was testament to his professionalism that he stepped in and delivered such an accomplished performance against Arsenal at the Emirates.

Lucas kept his place after Jurgen Klopp’s appointment and went on to clock up 40 appearances last term - his best since 2010/11 - including a number of outings at centre-back.

After missing out on Liverpool’s four previous visits to Wembley due to injury, he finally got to grace the national stadium in the League Cup final against Manchester City.

Last summer brought more uncertainty with the arrival of new boys Gini Wijnaldum and Marko Grujic - coupled with Klopp’s decision to play Henderson in the holding role.

Galatasaray were desperate to sign him but with Lucas having the ability to provide cover for two positions Klopp came to the conclusion that he simply couldn’t afford to lose his wealth of experience.

Adjusting to being a squad player hasn’t been easy for Lucas. But his attitude and commitment around Melwood remain unquestionable. It was telling that Klopp turned to Lucas for the recent visit of Watford when Dejan Lovren was ruled out with a virus. The manager’s faith was rewarded with a predictably dependable display.

His contribution extends far beyond what he does on the field. He’s a leader in the dressing room, who has provided great support for Joe Gomez and Danny Ings during their battles with long-term injuries.

He’s also a long-serving Liverpool FC Foundation ambassador who has dedicated hundreds of hours of his time to good causes across the city.

Lucas has been around for so long it’s easy to forget that he’s still only 29. He has 321 Liverpool appearances under his belt and still has plenty to offer.

Time and time again over the past decade he has been written off by his critics.

On each occasion he has come back from the brink and proved his worth.