Joe Gomez has welcomed having to fight for the prized berth alongside Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the Liverpool defence.
Jurgen Klopp’s side currently boast seven centre-backs having struggled for some of last season without any.
It means England international Gomez, on the comeback trail after long-term injury, faces a battle to rekindle the partnership he created so successfully with Van Dijk when the Reds won the Premier League.
But he is ready to scrap if it means Liverpool return to the summit of the English game.
“That’s part and parcel of being at a top club, I think,” he said of the competition for places. That’s what this club deserves and that’s what we all thrive off. Competition is good and it’s healthy.
“But we can all learn off one another, I think each of us is different and we’ve got top quality.”
Gomez came through more than an hour of a friendly against Osasuna on Monday unscathed but it appears Klopp is likely to go with the experienced pairing of van Dijk and Joel Matip for the season opener at Norwich on Saturday.
New boy Ibrahima Konate has impressed in pre-season after signing from RB Leipzig for £35million.
And last season’s rookies Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams, who did so much at the end of the campaign to get Liverpool into the Champions League, are also pressing for places, with January signing Ben Davies also waiting in the wings.
Phillips, 24, has done enough to earn a decent move to another top-flight club rather than wait in line behind centre-back rivals, with the likes of Southampton, West Ham, Burnley and Newcastle keen.
Davies could also go on loan but Gomez still faces a battle. He said: “Ibou’s top. He’s a great player and has adapted straight away to our style of play. He’s got all the attributes to thrive I think.
“Obviously the likes of Rhys and Nat and Ben are all top players, and it will be good this season. Now it’s just to learn from each other and keep pushing each other, day in and day out.”
Gomez admitted his relief at recovering from a knee tendon injury that had sidelined him since November. He added: “It was a long road, one that made me really appreciate just being back with the boys and training again.”
