I was physically brutal and gave the ball away a lot - but I was lucky my Liverpool team-mates took care of me

Javier Mascherano has admitted he still picks apart some of his performances for Liverpool.

The Reds signed the Argentina international on loan in February 2007 after he had made just seven appearances for West Ham United. He'd sign for Liverpool permanently 12 months later in an £18.6m deal, ending his association with Media Sports Investments in the process.

Establishing himself as a firm fan-favourite at Anfield, he memorably formed one-third of the Reds’ fan-proclaimed ‘best midfield in the world’ alongside Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso.

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Mascherano has in the past confessed he played his best football at Liverpool, despite spending a trophy-laden eight years with Barcelona after leaving Anfield in a £20m deal in August 2010.

Yet he admits he was fortunate to play alongside Gerrard and Alonso, admitting he is unimpressed with his own performances when he watches back his old Liverpool games.

“Liverpool's Mascherano was physically brutal but out of five balls, he gave three to his rivals,” he chuckled. “Sometimes I watch my games in Liverpool and say: ‘What a way to lose balls.’

“It happens that I had the ability to recover and I was very lucky with the teammates I had. In that midfield I played with Xabi Alonso and Gerrard, I only had to run to give it to them who would then take care of the rest.”

Mascherano revealed he has loved European football since an early age, much to the bemusement of his friends at the time, with one former Liverpool star partly responsible for the Argentine’s obsession with the