Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho has revealed that learning English has helped him to settle at the club.
The Frenchman struggled to make an impact at Anfield following his move from Paris Saint-Germain in 2013, but he is now an established part of Brendan Rodgers's team.
Sakho, 25, has credited his happiness at the club with getting to grips with the English language.
"Do I finally feel happy at Liverpool? Yes, I feel good. The most difficult thing has been the language," he told L'Equipe. "I am a man of strong character so when I can't express myself I am always frustrated, and if I cannot make myself understood it is even worse.
"Some people said that I should be speaking French and that would allow me to release the tension a bit, except that when I spoke in French on the pitch nobody understood what I was saying. I said to myself: 'This is useless - I really must learn'. It took time but now it is very good."
Liverpool saw their hopes of a top-four finish suffer a blow on Sunday with a 2-1 defeat at home to rivals Manchester United.
Jack Prescott
