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Mamadou Sakho believes he has the leadership qualities which can guide Liverpool FC through their current rocky spell.

The giant Frenchman is hoping to be available for selection again when the Reds resume Premier League action at Crystal Palace on Sunday week after missing the last 10 games with a thigh strain.

And if he gets the nod from boss Brendan Rodgers he believes he can show the qualities which saw him famously captain Paris St Germain at the tender age of 17.

“For me it (leadership) comes naturally. There are different kinds of leaders technical leaders, dressing room leaders, psychological leaders,” he said.

“I’d rather keep my personal objectives to myself so people don’t think I’m too pretentious. But I am a very ambitious person, I have set personal objectives, the team has set some too and they are quite similar.”

Sakho has started only four matches for Liverpool this season, partnering Dejan Lovren in victories over Tottenham and Ludogorets - and the home defeat by Aston Villa - then played alongside Kolo Toure in the marathon Capital One Cup success over Middlesbrough.

He accepted the responsibility of a penalty kick in that famous shoot-out, but responsibility is something he has been used to since a young age.

As a 17 year old he was handed the captain’s armband for PSG against Valenciennes in October 2007 and he remains the youngest-ever captain of a Ligue 1 club.

“The moment will stay with me forever,” he said. “But in football you need to move on. I am not 17 any more, I am 24. My career is different now. Everything I’ve accomplished has helped me gather experience but now I must move on and look forward.”

Sakho has missed the Reds last 10 games with a thigh strain sustained in that Capital One Cup marathon against Middlesbrough – but he accepts that his Anfield career is a work in progress.

He is still coming to terms with life at a new club in a new country, but is learning all the time.

“(Joining Liverpool) is the next step in my career, a new experience which allows me to grow,” he told Champions magazine. “I am still in my learning phase. Little by little I’ll start to open up even more because when you don’t speak a language well enough, it’s difficult to show your character; it’s difficult to communicate.

“But it will come, little by little. I’ve improved my English. I understand a lot better, especially the local Scouse accent. I’m still working.

“I’ve been spending afternoons with the kids regularly since I arrived at Liverpool. I am always happy to give French lessons and share some sport sessions with them. It’s important for them and me.”