"I've been available more or less since the Man United game," Aurelio said. "I've been training and waiting for the opportunity to have minutes on the pitch.
"When you're at a big club you have to be ready to take the opportunity. It's in Kenny’s hands whether he decides if he wants to use me or not but my desire is to always be available."
Aurelio has endured injury hell since joining the Reds from Spanish club Valencia in 2006. He is in the final year of his contract and has yet to appear for Liverpool in a competitive this season. The 32-year-old left back played 64 minutes in the midfield in the Oct. 18 friendly against Glasgow Rangers and has been practicing regularly ever since.
He competes for minutes with the impressive Jose Enrique and youngsters Jack Robinson and Jon Flanagan.
Although the decorated veteran may not play much more for the Reds, he takes pride in overcoming his numerous injuries over the years. He credits his faith and family for seeing him through the worst of times.
"It's not easy to stay positive as I have a history of injuries and lots of problems," Aurelio said. "With time you get a bit frustrated as well. Sometimes it puts you down a little bit. Being a Christian helps me a lot to go through it and the support of my family has been very important for me.
"Every time I come back I feel like I'm able to do it again, which encourages me to keep fighting and keep looking for what I want, which is to keep playing matches and enjoying football."
Aurelio's experience and technical abilities could prove valuable to Kenny Dalglish as the season progresses. He would not need as many games to reach his peak form as his younger counterparts and could provide valuable cover for Enrique in the event of injury or loss of form.
Photo via Flickr/Secrets Of Soccer
