Liverpool defender Martin Kelly admits he missed two years of development due to a back injury.

Surgery on the problem forced him to miss two years of his teenage football development before graduating to Liverpool's Melwood training HQ in 2007.

Kelly explained to the People: "When I was younger I suffered with a back problem, which was caused by playing too much football.

"I was told I had to stop playing or I would end up with a fracture in the bottom of my back.

"So I had an operation on that and didn't play for a while and, touch wood, I haven't felt it since. You are going to have injuries during a career and what defines you is how you get over them.

"And any time I have been called upon at Liverpool, I have shown what I can do.

"To have come through that and to have got to this stage of my career is a great achievement. But when you are a player at Liverpool you want to go on to bigger and better things. And now I want to pick up honours.

"I've had quite a bit of bad luck with injuries, but I am keeping on top of them this season."