Ronald Araujo - Imago
Ronald Araujo - Imago
Liverpool defender Ronald Araujo has made an impressive start to life at Anfield since joining on a season-long loan from Barcelona last August.
The Uruguay international has quickly adapted to the demands of English football, even filling in effectively at full-back when required.
Despite arriving on a temporary deal, the 27-year-old has already played an important role in steadying Liverpool’s season under Andoni Iraola.
Araujo was previously named the Premier League’s Player of the Matchweek for Matchweek 8 and has now received further recognition after winning Liverpool’s Standard Chartered Men’s Player of the Month award for October.
The on-loan defender started all six of the Reds’ matches during the month, helping the team secure five victories across the Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup.
He was also the overwhelming choice of supporters in the club’s Player of the Month poll. “I just feel grateful,” Araujo told Liverpoolfc.com upon receiving the prize at the AXA Training Centre.
“I think I have to be grateful to everybody, the fans, for this prize. “I’m very grateful to them for the love that they’ve shown me from the first moment I arrived at the club, and what I will do is give absolutely everything [for them].”
On his message to the supporters, he said: “I feel grateful for the love without doubt from the first moment I arrived at the club.
“They made me feel like one of them and I tried to back that with hard work, with commitment, by giving the very best of myself in every training session, during every match. “Hopefully we can win titles this season to bring them even more joy.”
He added: “I’m grateful to my teammates. They’ve made my adaptation more comfortable. I’m learning a great deal from each one of them, as well as from the staff at the club and the manager and everyone that works at the club. I think they’re very good at what they do and they make things a lot easier for you.”
Araujo found the net twice during October, scoring headers in Liverpool’s Champions League victories over LASK and Villarreal.
The Uruguayan impressed defensively as well, earning praise for his commitment, particularly after producing a crucial headed clearance inside his own penalty area against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Araujo was an unused substitute in Liverpool’s disappointing 3-2 Champions League defeat to Fenerbahce on Wednesday night but could return to contention for Sunday’s Premier League clash with Crystal Palace.
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