Aberdeen goalkeeper Danny Ward hopes he can work his way into Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp’s future plans by starring for the Dons.
The 22-year-old signed a five-year deal with the English Premier League side in the summer before joining Derek McInnes’ Reds on loan for the season.
Ward returned to Anfield during the recent international break to meet Klopp, who replaced Brendan Rodgers last month, for the first time.
The on-loan goalkeeper has felt encouraged by the interest the charismatic German has taken in his development at Pittodrie.
Ward said: “I managed to go and speak to him after the latest international and he was very positive about things.
“He is very happy with me being here and getting so much good experience because he knows it is a big year for my development with so many big games.
“He is very keen to get to know all the boys who went out on loan when Brendan Rodgers was manager as he is very hands on and is aware of what everyone is up to.
“Liverpool got a great result away to Manchester City last weekend and he just has this real aura and presence about him.
“He is quite a fascinating character. For the moment, though, the priority is to continue learning under Derek McInnes and the guys here.”
Ward will be hoping to help the Dons put pressure on second-placed Hearts with a win against Ross County at Pittodrie this afternoon.
McInnes’ players have won only once in eight matches but the Welsh stopper believes the club’s fortunes are starting to change.
He added: “There was always going to be a stage in the season when we hit a blip and we didn’t want it to go on as long as it has done.
“Taking four points from the last two games shows things are slowly improving but it was always going to be difficult after winning the first eight games.
“There was always going to be a level of expectation and pressure on us to keep that up and maybe it’s something that some of the lads haven’t been used to.
“We will be able to deal with that better now and it’s just the way it happened after the blistering start of winning eight from eight in the league.
“If we had won a couple, maybe drawn one, won another few and just lost one in a sequence like that then people would be looking at things differently.
“We are still better off than at the same stage last season, so that’s not bad.
“The important thing is to keep working hard in training and it will come right as we have real quality in the squad.”