Jordan Henderson has expressed his gratitude to Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers for the progress he has made this season.
Midfielder Henderson took time to prove his worth following his big-money move from Premier League rivals Sunderland in June 2011.
The 23-year-old played a key role in the Merseyside club s impressive 2013-14 campaign, though, establishing himself as a first-team regular under Rodgers.
Henderson has also secured a place in Roy Hodgson s England squad for the FIFA World Cup as a result of the progress he has made this season.
And he insists Rodgers should take great credit for his development.
Henderson told The Liverpool Echo: I think I ve improved from the start of the season until now.
I feel as though I ve become a better player in many areas. I ve still got a long way to go, no doubt. But I feel as though I m improving. I m enjoying my football.
The manager has helped me with a lot of things and hopefully I can keep working even harder to become better. If I do that, I’m sure I can keep going in the right direction and that s the same for the team.
The manager has been key. He s been amazing for me personally and I m sure that s the same for everybody else in the team as well.
The things he can do on and off the pitch for the players is fantastic and he has a great relationship with us. That s just the type of person he is. He s a great manager and I’m sure everybody will want to thank him for this season.
