Loris Karius admits his first season at Liverpool was a “struggle” at times, with form and fitness issues holding him back.
Jurgen Klopp returned to his native Germany to bring in another goalkeeper during the summer of 2016.
A former member of Manchester City’s academy system was returned to England in a £4.7 million deal and quickly introduced to the Liverpool starting XI.
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He was, however, to see high-profile and costly errors see him surrender his place back to Simon Mignolet, with the 24-year-old conceding that he went through a “negative spell”.
Karius told the Reds’ official website: “It feels good to be back.
“I didn’t have an easy first season with a bit of a struggle and injuries. Now I want to prove myself, do better than last season and win the shirt back.
“It was a new experience for me, with a lot to learn. Even in the negative spell, I took positives out of it and learned a lot that was new to me. I feel strong mentally and also on the pitch. I want to prove myself.”
Karius acknowledges that he needs to be up for another battle in 2017-18, with Danny Ward returning to the Anfield fold after helping Huddersfield Town to promotion into the Premier League during a productive loan spell.
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“It’s good to have competition and good for the club to have three strong goalkeepers,” he added.
“I’m sure we’ll try to push each other in training. Everyone will try to be at their best.”
Karius made 16 appearances in all competitions last season, with the last of those coming in January.