Winger reveals Reds targets

Nabil El Zhar admits injuries have scuppered the targets he set himself in pre-season - but the fit-again winger is now determined to make up for lost time.

The Moroccan sustained a knee ligament injury during Liverpool's Far East tour in July, meaning he spent the opening four months of 2009-10 on the sidelines.

El Zhar's return to action as a substitute against Blackburn Rovers in December proved to be a brief one as an ankle problem reunited the 23-year-old with Melwood's treatment table once more.

However, the former Saint Etienne forward recently resumed full-training and is now eager to re-establish himself in the plans of Rafael Benitez after making 19 senior appearances last term.

He told LFC Weekly: "I know some fans still see my name on the programme and think, 'Nabil El Zhar - he's one of our younger players.' That's not true. If I was 18 or 19, they would have been right.

"But I'm 23 and approaching an important stage of my career.

"I have two main hopes when each season starts. The first is to play more games than the season before, The second is to improve as a player and a person.

"Last season was a good one for me. I played a reasonable number of games and felt a big improvement in my overall game.

"So far this year, injuries have meant that I haven't been able to even begin to reach those basic targets."

He added: "The Blackburn game was tough but it felt really good to be back playing again. I tried my best to give the team some width and pace and was content with my performance.

"I was looking forward to playing some part in the squad but then I suffered another setback. It has been one of the most frustrating periods of my career.

"I still have a lot to achieve. There is still time for me to become a regular first-team player - although I need to have a period of time without being injured to do that."

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