Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has praised Martin Skrtel for forcing his way back into the team this season.

The centre-back, 29, was expected to leave Anfield over the summer after falling out of favour towards the end of the last campaign.

Rodgers has now credited the Slovakian international for turning his career around with the Reds.

"I brought in a way I wanted to work, on the training field and in games, and for the second half of last season he didn't feature much," Rodgers is quoted as saying by Goal.com.

"He had a choice, he could either throw the toys out the pram, or he could sit down with the manager and the coaching staff and see what areas he needed to improve.

"Now, you see a player with great intelligence in his defence, his use of the ball is composed and he has taken on a real leadership role. His performance levels, consistently, have been of a high level. He is up there with the top centre-halves in this league, and I am delighted for him."

Skrtel scored twice for Liverpool on Saturday during their 5-1 win at home to Arsenal in the Premier League.