Liverpool forward Lewis Koumas says Andoni Iraola's appointment marked a "real opportunity" for him to break through into the first team, adding that he made sure "no-one else out there was working harder than me" in the head coach's early days at Anfield.

The 21-year-old, who joined Liverpool's academy as an 11-year-old, has already made 14 appearances this season - scoring one goal and registering one assist.

Koumas was also part of the Hull City squad that earned promotion to the Premier League last season, having joined the Tigers on loan in the January transfer window.

"I felt like it could be a massive opportunity for me," Koumas told the club's official website. "I started looking into the sort of manager Andoni Iraola is and I feel like loads of my game is what he looks for in a player.

"I saw it as a real opportunity to come in and try to grab it. I definitely felt like this was going to be the chance to see if I can do it in the summer, to see if I can break through here, so the fact it happened is a really nice touch.

"There was going be no-one out-training me and there was ultimately going to be no-one showing that they want to play for him more than I was."

On the Reds head coach, Koumas added: "Playing for him is really special - really, really special. You want to be out there on the pitch fighting for him because he fights for you. You want to play for him.

"He could pick whoever he wants but he has trusted me to go and do a job for him. It is an unbelievable feeling to be playing for him."