Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is grateful to Liverpool fans for their support last season as he worked his way back from knee injury.

There were injury problems at Arsenal when the fans would get ­frustrated but he was full of praise for Liverpool supporters when news emerged of just how long it would take to come back.

“I guess a lot of them weren't expecting it to be that bad, they could have got frustrated, but the amount of support through that was breathtaking. I wasn't expecting that at all," he said.

“I can't thank the fans enough. Little things like that really helped me to carry on and take my time and get myself right instead of having to rush back and maybe miss a few things. That was really helpful.

"I did things throughout, like hospital visits, seeing kids who were really ill.

“I saw the kids at Zoe's Place, did a Christmas visit. You do get times when you do feel sorry for yourself, feeling, 'I can't play, I'm on my crutches' but there are people so much worse off and I kept reminding myself of those little things."