Lucas, Maxi And Suarez Helping Liverpool Youngster Settle In

Sebastian Coates says he feels completely at home at Liverpool, with the youngster crediting South Americans Lucas Leiva, Maxi Rodriguez and Luis Suarez with helping him settle into northern England.

Coates made the switch from Nacional to Anfield last summer, as Kenny Dalglish and Damien Comolli move to make stronger ties with young South American players.

The 21 year old has since made nine appearances for Liverpool, and scored his first goal for the club in their 2-3 loss to QPR.

And Coates insists that while the weather is rather different in England than that which he enjoyed in Uruguay, the starlet feels right at home with Liverpool's South American trio to keep him company.

"I think I've settled in well," he told the official Liverpool website. "It has helped having people around me like Lucas, Maxi and Luis. I feel very comfortable here.

"Liverpool is actually quite similar to where I'm from, Montevideo in Uruguay - the only difference really is the climate!

"In my spare time, I like to go to Liverpool One, or meet up in either Maxi or Luis's houses. We have some old customs, and we all like to share a drink which is called 'mate'. You may have seen Luis with this - it's a traditional Uruguayan tea.

"My English is coming along good. I've got an English teacher, so hopefully it will continue to get better, but it can be difficult to understand the Scouse accent!

"I've been in London and listened to their accent. It's a little bit different here in Liverpool, but I'm getting there."

Coates has come leaps and bounds since heading to Merseyside, adapting to a new country and style of play within eight months. But the centre back is planning on improving a lot more as the season comes to an end.

"I'm hoping to keep adapting to English football and the Premier League," he explained.

"The football is quicker here than in Uruguay, and it's stronger and more aggressive. That's something I'm going to have to keep working towards and adapting my game to.

"I think it's gone well so far. Obviously I would like some more opportunities to play, but I am also conscious of the fact I have to be patient and wait for those opportunities to come my way.

"The goal for the team is to win as many matches as we can. My personal goal is to try and adapt even more to the (English) game so next season I can play more."

Liverpool will now be looking to some of their younger players to start stepping up and showing that Kenny Dalglish's policy of recruiting for the future is working. The club look to be out of the race for Champions League football, but have already shored up a Europa League place through their Carling Cup win.

And with pressure mounting on the Glaswegian to produce some good for spending over £100 million the past year, Coates will be one of the younger players pundits will be keeping a close eye on.