Liverpool: Lucas Leiva believes performance against Arsenal saved his Anfield future

Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva has revealed that his performance against Arsenal at the Emirates convinced Brendan Rodgers to keep him at Anfield, without which he may well have been out of the club in the transfer window. The Brazilian put in an effective performance against the Gunners in the absence of Jordan Henderson and got back into the good books of the manager.

Lucas has since been an integral part of the team and with Henderson being ruled out for an extended period, his position in the middle of the park is unlikely to be questioned for the time being. Lucas joined the Reds in 2007 and revealed that he never wanted to leave Anfield as his family were settled here, but failure to get games had forced his hand and led him to think of another solution.

The midfielder is set to make his 200th appearance for the Reds and will be hoping that the team can turn around their fortunes after taking only two points from their last four games in the league.

"I was very frustrated that I couldn't make the squad for the first two games, but I had to keep training and working hard because we have a lot of examples where football can change in a moment," Lucas said, as quoted by the Mirror.

"Of course, I never wanted to leave Liverpool. I have a home here and my family are very happy. But sometimes you do find yourself thinking about another solution if you think that will keep your career going.

"A couple of things happened during the first couple of games that gave me the chance to play against Arsenal, and I believe it was because I was training so hard and was well prepared that I was able to come in and have a good game," the midfielder added.

"Maybe if there hadn't been the Arsenal game, I wouldn't be here now. But I always believe that things happen for a reason," he stressed.