Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott has revealed he has had "very honest" talks with head coach Arne Slot over his lack of playing time but insists he is still hungry to contribute to his team's success.
Elliott scored the winning goal for Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain, finishing with his first touch after coming off the bench in the 85th minute at the Parc des Princes.
The 21-year-old has made 18 appearances for Liverpool this season but has started on only four occasions and, after making himself the hero against PSG, he admitted he has discussed his desire for more minutes with Slot.
"Yes, we've had conversations," Elliott said. "Very honest conversations and open conversations. It's down to me to put the work in, to be honest, and show him everything that he's told me. I'm trying to work on it, I'm trying to improve and I'm trying to get in this team.
"At the same time, I feel like I can't get too angry and frustrated because quite frankly the team is doing amazing. As I said, it's a team game. It's just not about me. I just need to make sure that I'm ready in moments like tonight where I can contribute. Just make sure I'm in the right mind frame to come on and influence the game.
"There are periods of time where I want to be playing and it's not happening. But moments like tonight, it keeps me motivated and the hunger is still within me to go out and show what I can do and influence the game as much as I can.
"I think not only myself, but any football player would want to play each and every game. It's just not humanly possible, you just need to wait for your moments. And nights like tonight, just enjoy it and take the opportunity."
Elliott joined Liverpool from Fulham in 2019 and broke into the first team under Jrgen Klopp. He impressed for Slot's side in preseason but his opportunities have been limited this term after fracturing his foot while on international duty back in September.
Reflecting on how he has dealt with the challenges of this season, Elliott said: "I think as a player you always need to stay composed. Football is full of ups and downs. You can go periods of time without playing, you can be not playing, and things don't really go your way. I think it's just about staying motivated and mentally right in the head.
"Like tonight, opportunities, although there wasn't a big amount of game time, just trying to see what you can do. Today it fell to me perfectly and I just needed to make sure I got a good connection and put the ball in the back of the net. That's what I did."
Elliott also added: "I'm still young, it's a hard thing to understand in my head really. I've played 150 games for Liverpool, and I feel like I'm very experienced in terms of that aspect.
"So there are moments within the season where I am getting angry, I am getting frustrated because I want to play, but at the same time I need to respect the situation, I need to respect the manager's decisions. Some games I'm needed, some games I'm not.
"That's just how football is. That's why I feel like we're in the position that we are in this season so far because of his decisions."
