Should Ox make winger role his own at Liverpool after Maribor goal?

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Jurgen Klopp says Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain won’t be playing in central midfield any time soon for Liverpool.

Liverpool’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (L) celebrates with Philippe Coutinho (R) after scoring a goal during the UEFA Champions League match against Maribor.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain came off the bench to score his first goal for new club Liverpool as they ran out 7-0 winners at Maribor in the Champions League.

Oxlade-Chamberlain turned down the chance to join Chelsea because he didn’t feel the Blues would play him in his preferred role of central midfield, as reported by the BBC, but after coming off the bench in Slovenia the England international once again featured on the wing.

And Reds manager Jurgen Klopp may have ended the 24-year-old’s hopes of featuring in the middle with his comments about his best role.

Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp looks on prior to the UEFA Champions League group E football match against NK Maribor.

“Without training and playing in the middle of the park it doesn’t make sense,” Klopp was quoted by the Daily Mail.

“At this moment he is training only on the wing so it is clear, when he does start [playing in the middle, it] can never be without training as a number eight first.

“It is not good for him, and it is not good for us, and at the moment when he is training he trains on the wing.

“At the moment it is clear but I know once again it is a long-term thing, it is not fixed for the next five years.”

Jurgen Klopp, manager of Liverpool, speaks to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain before he comes on during the Premier League match against Burnley.

While Oxlade-Chamberlain could see this is a negative admission from his boss, perhaps he should instead try and seize this new opportunity.

The Englishman has played the majority of his career to date as a winger and with Sadio Mane out for the next six weeks with a hamstring injury, it is a great chance for him to cement his place in the starting XI.

Oxlade-Chamberlain has been criticised in the past for perhaps not realising his potential and maybe part of this has been because he has not settled on his best role, but with Klopp having made that decision for the former Arsenal man now is the time to kick on.