Soccer-Lovren thanks Klopp for helping him find feet at Liverpool

March 17 (Reuters) - Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren has credited manager Juergen Klopp with pushing him to improve as a player and helping to resurrect his faltering Anfield career. Lovren was signed in 2014 from Southampton by Brendan Rodgers, Klopp's predecessor at Liverpool, and struggled for form and fitness under the Northern Irishman, leading some fans to call for a speedy exit. But the 26-year-old appears to have rediscovered his zest for the game since Klopp took over in October. "What I touched last year was the bottom," he told the Daily Express. "I could not go any deeper. "To be honest, I was always happy to be here from the first day, but sometimes it goes well, sometimes not. Sometimes you need time. "It depends on people who manage you well. In the time since Juergen has come, things have changed a lot." Liverpool have kept 10 clean sheets in the 21 games Lovren has played under Klopp in all competitions this season, and the defender said the manager had pushed him to make the most of the opportunities that were coming his way. "With this manager, I can improve and just become a better player," the Croatia international said. "The small details are what makes you a top defender and sometimes he gives simple advice: 'If you need to kick the ball out, kick it out.' "Next season we will definitely have a better season. Juergen needs his time to know the players." Liverpool, eighth in the Premier League table with 10 games to play, take a 2-0 first-leg advantage to Old Trafford when they face Manchester United in their Europa League last-16 tie on Thursday. (Reporting by Simon Jennings in Bengaluru; Editing by Kevin Liffey)