The midfielder believes that Brendan Rodgers’s playing philosophy has helped him adapt in his first season on Merseyside after following the former Swansea City boss to Anfield

EXCLUSIVE
By Bima Said and Chris Davie

Liverpool midfielder Joe Allen insists that the club are heading in the right direction despite failing to secure European football for next season.

Brendan Rodgers’s side sealed a seventh-placed finish in the Premier League last term, which meant that they missed out on a Europa League place to city rivals Everton.

But, despite the lack of European action at Anfield, Allen claims that the club will continue to make strides domestically.

“This season has had difficulties, there’s been difficult results and performances, but we’re moving in the right direction and I think you can see that more and more recently,” the midfielder told Goal.

“Next season we are really looking to progress and take things that step further.”

Allen followed Rodgers from Swansea City to Liverpool in a £15 million deal last August and the 23-year-old believes that his manager’s possession-based style has allowed him to settle quickly at Anfield.

“He has a philosophy and style about him as a manager which he brought from his days at Swansea and here [at Liverpool],” he added. “I knew that quite well which helped me settle.

“I think when you move clubs it can always take time to settle but I think this club makes a massive effort to help you out and that helps when you get out on the pitch.”

Allen required shoulder surgery in March which forced him to miss the final stages of the last campaign but the midfielder is on course to be a part of Liverpool’s pre-season preparations which, after a match against Preston North End, begins in Indonesia.

He continued: “I’m really excited to be part of a Liverpool pre-season tour, travelling to places like that is exciting. It will be a great preparations for us going into next season.”