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Steven Gerrard backs Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to thrive at Liverpool

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Steven Gerrard says Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will improve the Liverpool team - and hails Naby Keita as a 'fantastic player'.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain can give Liverpool "the best years of his career", according to club great Steven Gerrard.

The Reds spent an initial £35m on deadline day to sign Oxlade-Chamberlain, who chose Anfield as "the next stage of my ongoing development" after six years at Arsenal.

Gerrard was a senior England figure when Oxlade-Chamberlain first broke into the squad and says Liverpool have signed a 24-year-old who is "already a fantastic player".

Steven Gerrard and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain pictured in England training in 2012
Image: Gerrard and Oxlade-Chamberlain pictured in England training in 2012

But there is more to come, according to the Champions League-winning skipper - now back on Merseyside as the club's U18 manager.

"I think he definitely strengthens the group and the team," Gerrard said. "He's English, he's 24, he's just coming into his peak years.

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"He's a very quick and exciting player. It seems as if he wasn't happy at Arsenal, so now hopefully he can settle down, give the best years of his career at Liverpool Football Club. But I think he's a very, very positive signing."

Oxlade-Chamberlain was one of three major summer signings for Liverpool, who paid Roma just shy of £40m for Egyptian Mohamed Salah and agreed a club-record deal for RB Leipzig's Guinea midfielder Naby Keita, who will arrive next summer.

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Naby Keita
Image: Naby Keita will join Liverpool next summer

Gerrard said: "It's fantastic for Liverpool to have Naby Keita. He's a fantastic player and I'm really excited for when he joins next year. And, obviously, to have Mo Salah as well, another new signing, I think we're very, very lucky.

"I'm sure that they're big, big role models in Africa for younger players who are all aspiring to be top, top footballers."

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