Lucas Leiva is closing in on 10 years as Liverpool player but believes he has never before witnessed better team spirit than that boasted by the club's current crop.

Reds boss Jürgen Klopp has regularly discussed the importance of his players working together to achieve their goals and, on the evidence of a strong first half of the 2016-17 campaign, that approach appears to be working.

Lucas says the camaraderie fostered by the boss is evident in the dressing room and hopes that it can continue to prove productive for him and his teammates. 

“I think in terms of spirit it is probably the best since I’ve been here,” he said.

“We have a very good group of players. There is not one player who tries to be the main man.

“It is really about team work and it is really good to work with all of them.

“It has been working really well for us at the moment and hopefully we can carry on working like that and the end of the season will be a positive one.”

The Brazilian returned to the line-up as Klopp's men were held to a 0-0 draw by Plymouth Argyle in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday.

And he hopes to have done enough to earn another start when the Reds face Southampton in the first leg of the sides' EFL Cup semi-final tie on Wednesday - be that at centre-back, or in midfield.

“Everyone is ready to play,” he added.

“Hopefully I can play as I played in all the rounds until now. It is a competition we want to do well in as we came very close last year.

“Hopefully we can have two good games in the semi-final against a very difficult team and get to the final.

“I have to adapt to playing centre-back. I’ve played there many times and every game you feel more comfortable but there are things you have to learn.

“I am a midfield player and I am learning another position, which is good as it helps me for the future.”