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Lucas Leiva wants to celebrate his decade of service to Liverpool in style by getting his hands on some silverware this season.

It will 10 years in May since the loyal Brazilian joined the Reds in a £5million move from Gremio in his homeland.

Lucas, who overcame a difficult start to his Anfield career, has clocked up 324 appearances under five different managers.

He’s made a habit of fighting back from the brink and proving his enduring importance to the Reds. Now he’s looking to the future under Jurgen Klopp with relish.

The 2012 League Cup remains the only trophy Liverpool have won during the 29-year-old’s time at Anfield but he’s keen to help put that right over the coming months.

“It’s been a fantastic journey,” Lucas told the ECHO.

“A very hard one I’d say, but I am very proud of what I’ve achieved and I still have a lot more to achieve here.

“A journey of 10 years will always have a lot of ups and downs. There have been happy and sad moments.

“I’d like to have won more things but you have to keep trying and keep fighting. Hopefully in the end there will be more trophies and it will all be positive.

“I know I have respect from the fans and from everyone at the club and that’s what you aim for as well.”

Lucas has embraced Klopp’s decision to transform him from a holding midfielder into a centre-back over the past 12 months.

He first played there after Martin Skrtel went off injured at Watford last December and he went on to start the League Cup final against Manchester City at Wembley at the heart of the Reds’ backline.

This season he has played most of his football at centre-back – moving above Estonia captain Ragnar Klavan in the pecking order.

When Joel Matip was ruled out of last weekend’s trip to Bournemouth with an ankle problem, it was Lucas who got the nod to fill in alongside Dejan Lovren.

“To be honest, playing there is something I had never thought about before the manager suggested it,” Lucas said.

“The manager has put a lot of trust in me there. He thinks I have the qualities to play there. Every game I feel more comfortable and I feel more natural there.

“I’d say it’s probably my best position to play for Liverpool. Over my last 20 to 25 games for the club, I’ve played maybe 18 or 19 matches as a centre-back.

“I feel very comfortable in that role now. And when he needs someone to play in midfield he knows he can count on me there too.

“It hasn’t been so different. Of course with the way Jurgen likes to play, the holding midfield player has to do a lot more I’d say in terms of what I used to do before in that holding role.

“Playing as a centre-back is something similar. You don’t run as much as when you are in midfield but you need to be very focused. You need to be able to read the game. Every game I play there I try to improve and keep playing well.”

Sami 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 229 Premier League outings for Liverpool.

His total of 40 appearances in all competitions for the Reds last season was his best since the 2010/11 campaign.

This term his opportunities have been more limited. Matip and Lovren have been Klopp’s first-choice centre-back partnership with captain Jordan Henderson shining as the sole holding midfielder.

Lucas has only made three Premier League starts but he remains a valued member of the squad and a leader in the dressing room.

He recently skippered a much changed line up to victory in the EFL Cup victory over Leeds United.

(Image: 2016 Getty Images)

It’s not in Lucas’ nature to sit back and simply accept the role of being a squad player.

He wants to be key to Liverpool’s challenge for honours and intends to do everything he can to make that a reality.

“I have to understand the situation at the moment, keep working and be ready for when the opportunities come,” Lucas added.

“I know I’m still an important player for this group. Of course everyone wants to play but we don’t have as many games as last year.

“You have to understand this but accepting it is very hard. If you accept not playing too easily then you probably won’t be ready when the chance comes.

“I will never just accept not playing. The day I do is probably the day I should think about something else.

“I’m challenging for a position and the manager knows I can do a job.”

Lucas was speaking at the final of the LFC x NB Five-a-side Tournament at the Academy.

It was held to celebrate the launch of the new LFC x NB sportswear range (http://store.liverpoolfc.com/fashion/new-balance) .

Lucas was in charge of beaten finalists ‘Rua’s’ with Liverpool Under-18s striker Yan Dhanda as his No 2.

“The result wasn’t so good but it’s great to be here,” he added. “Maybe in the future I will try to be involved in some capacity in coaching.

“Being a manager is not so simple, especially to be a successful manager. It’s hard. I’ve worked with a lot of them.”