He’s never going to steal the headlines. You’re never going to see him go anywhere for big money. He’s not even going to play every game.
But Lucas is probably the single-most underrated player in the Liverpool squad.
With creative players like Philippe Coutinho, Daniel Sturridge and Christian Benteke playing further up the pitch, Brendan Rodgers has given Lucas the job of being the Reds’ reliable engine.
The Brazilian breaks up play, helps out his defenders and can spot a pass with the best of them
Lucas enjoyed a 90 minutes to remember when he had one of his best games in a Liverpool shirt during the Reds’ 3-2 victory over Villa at the weekend.
And the stats back it up.
Most completed passes – 26/27 September
Lucas was far and away the most accurate passer this past weekend as he bested Santi Cazorla and teammate Mamadou Sakho by some way.
Most completed passes – 2015/16 Premier League game
Lucas’ 100 put him just 18 passes behind the best pass return so far this season which came courtesy of Santi Cazorla.
Most touches – 2015/16 Premier League game
Lucas’ stellar game against Villa also put him just 23 touches behind the season’s best, also held by Cazorla.
Most tackles – 2015/16 Premier League game
And in between all the passes and touches, Lucas was still doing his defensive duties and chipped in with 11 tackles against Villa.
Handy that Brodge didn’t sell him to Besiktas a few weeks ago then, eh?
