Jimmy Rice 09 May 2008
The man with the golden gloves claims Liverpool's search for silverware is far more important than personal accolades.
Pepe Reina has scooped the Golden Glove award for most clean sheets in the Premier League for the third successive season.
But, while he's rightly proud of his achievement, the 25-year-old insists he won't rest of his laurels as Rafa Benitez looks to strengthen his squad for a renewed title charge in 2008-09.
He said: "We are growing up as a team, year in and year out. We need to keep improving all the time because if you do that it gives you an even better chance of winning trophies.
"But we also need to bring in some more good players like Torres and Mascherano.
"The most important thing is to keep on making progress so that we can get closer and closer to the sides at the top.
"We will work hard to make this happen, though, and I am sure the manager is already thinking of bringing in some players to help us to do that.
"It is a collective thing. There is no point in three or four players doing well if we do not all do well.
"You win as a team and you lose as a team, so it is all about making progress as a team.
"We are still a young side. We have a couple of centre-backs in their early 20s, Mascherano is 23 and Torres is 24 – we can only get better and better."
Reina, too, could fall into the bracket of players who may be young, but who already outshine many of their top flight counterparts.
The man himself, though, thinks there's still room for improvement.
"Of course I can get better," he said. "Every player can improve and no one should ever think they can no longer get any better.
"You have to keep on working hard every day in training and in matches and if you do that then you have a chance to become the very best player you possibly can.
"That is the same for everyone in football and I am no different.
"I know there are things I can improve upon and I will continue to work hard so I can try to become better."
With 17 clean sheets from 37 Premier League games this term, Reina is one ahead of Pompey 'keeper David James, who has been ruled out of this weekend's fixtures with a calf injury.
Despite his golden gloves already being secure, Liverpool's custodian is still keen to shut out Spurs as the season draws to a close on Sunday.
He said: "I don't know if I will be playing yet but if I am I will be looking to keep another clean sheet because that would mean we will get at least a draw.
"That is always important. If you do not concede a goal then it gives you a better chance of winning games, so if the defence and the goalkeeper can do their jobs it makes it easier for the attacking players to do theirs.
"But for me the job is now done. We have managed to secure fourth place and from a personal point of view I am happy to get the golden gloves, so maybe that will mean the manager will let Charles Itandje play, because he has worked hard all season and he deserves to play in this game.
"It is not my achievement, though. It is an achievement for the team and the whole club because we are all in it together and you cannot get these kind of awards without everyone working together.
"It is always nice to get awards, though, and I will be very happy to put this one up at home because it is nice to be able to look at them when you are sat on your sofa."
Next up for Reina is a trip to the European Championships in Austria and Switzerland, after which he'll return to Melwood to no doubt meet one or two new faces.
Departures are inevitable, though there's no doubt who'll be wearing the number 25 shirt next year.
"I am very happy here and nothing strange will happen," said Reina. "I will keep going for this club."
Pepe Reina's shut-outs:
Aug 25, Sunderland (a) 0-2
Sept 1, Derby County (h) 6-0
Sept 15, Portsmouth (a) 0-0
Sept 22, Birmingham City (h) 0-0
Sept 29, Wigan Athletic (a) 0-1
Nov 3, Blackburn Rovers (a) 0-0
Nov 10, Fulham (h) 2-0
Nov 24, Newcastle United (a) 0-3
Dec 2, Bolton Wanderers (h) 4-0
Dec 30, Manchester City (a) 0-0
Feb 2, Sunderland (h) 3-0
Feb 10, Chelsea (a) 0-0
Mar 5, West Ham United (h) 4-0
Mar 8, Newcastle United (h) 3-0
Mar 30, Everton (h) 1-0
April 19, Fulham (a) 0-2
May 4, Manchester City (h) 1-0
liverpoolfc.tv
[ Last edited by steven999 on 2008-5-10 at 10:20 AM ]
