Liverpool defender Sebastian Coates has promised to become an important part of the club’s future despite making his debut in a 4-0 defeat to Tottenham.
The towering Uruguayan came on as a substitute for the injured Daniel Agger at White Hart Lane, but there was little he could do to reverse the Reds’ fortunes as Charlie Adam and Martin Skrtel both saw red in a dire team performance.
Coates, though, is adamant his Liverpool debut will not act as an indicator for what is to come, insisting he will settle and prove himself in England. At 20 years of age, he has already won the Copa America, a tournament at which he was named Best Young Player, and Coates is convinced he can transfer success back home to the English stage.
“The biggest attraction was the challenge: to come to an unfamiliar place – a huge club – and make a name for myself,” Coates said.
“So far in my career, I have been very lucky; to play for Nacional, to play in the Copa Libertadores, to win the Copa America. There has been a lot of success in a short period of time but I have achieved that in a place where I am most comfortable.
“Now, I am here, in a different country, in a different league, with different team-mates. The best players are successful wherever they go. I am determined to become an important player here at a historical stage of the club’s future.”