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Loris Karius has revealed how he gave up on his Olympic dream in order to establish himself as Liverpool’s No 1 as he insisted: “I’ve not come here to sit on the bench.”

The £4.7million summer signing from Mainz turned down the chance to represent Germany in Brazil next month following talks with Jurgen Klopp.

Karius would have missed the tour of America and the opening two Premier League matches against Arsenal and Burnley but decided to put his new club first.

“I spoke with the manager and we said that it didn’t make sense for me to go to the Olympics as I would miss the first two league games of the season and of course I want to play in them,” Karius said.

“We agreed together I wouldn’t be going (to Rio). First I spoke with Jurgen and then together we spoke with the German people who wanted me to go.

“The priority is the club. It’s more important that I am available for the start of the season.”

The 23-year-old shot-stopper, who was brought in to compete with Simon Mignolet for a starting spot, wouldn’t confirm whether he had received any assurances from Klopp about his place in the pecking order.

Belgium international Mignolet has been the club’s first-choice keeper for the past three seasons but Karius says he wouldn’t have moved to Anfield if he thought he was going to be anyone’s deputy.

“What we’ve talked about stays with us,” he said.

“Of course I know that a club like this has more competition. It’s a bigger club and better players means more competition.

“I am not scared or anything. If I was, I wouldn’t have come here. I have a good feeling.

“I wouldn’t come here just to sit on the bench. That doesn’t make sense for me.

“I’m not a keeper who hasn’t shown his ability. I know I am a good goalkeeper and I’ve shown that a lot.

“I could have stayed at Mainz and played there. If I wasn’t sure I could come and play here this season, I wouldn’t have done it.”

Karius is no stranger to England having spent two years on the books at Manchester City after signing from his boyhood club Stuttgart in 2009.

He trained with the likes of Joe Hart and Shay Given on a daily basis before returning to his homeland at the age of 18 to launch his senior career.

Karius was ever present for Mainz last term and has established himself as one of Germany’s top young keepers.

“It’s good to be back in England,” he added.

“When I left Man City I was still really young and I decided to go somewhere else to get some first-team experience.

“I took the step to Mainz. I needed to join a smaller club to get my career going as a young player. I did everything right with that move.

“I had almost three full seasons in the Bundesliga there. I am still young but I’ve played around 100 games in the Bundesliga so I have some experience.

“I thought it was time to take the next step in my career. The opportunity to join Liverpool came up and I thought it was a good next step for me.

“I just need to produce my best and show what I can do. The manager has seen a good goalkeeper in me otherwise he wouldn’t have brought me here.

“I need to settle in, get to know all the players and get communication going with all of the defence.

"There’s a lot of pre-season games for me to show my qualities and then we will see.”