Trent Alexander-Arnold says he chose to convert into a right-back to boost his chances of first-team action at Liverpool.
Alexander-Arnold is enjoying a superb season as one of Jurgen Klopp's ultra-attacking full-backs.
The England international has already recorded 12 assists in the Premier League this term - the same tally he registered in 2018/19, which was a record for a defender.
Alexander-Arnold has been tipped for a midfield role in the future, and the 21-year-old has revealed that he was deployed in the engine room for much of his time in Liverpool's academy.
"Who decided the position change? It was me, Neil Critchley and Alex Inglethorpe," he told BBC Sport.
"Critch was my under-18 manager and Alex was head of the academy. I wanted to get into the first team as soon as possible, and we decided that was the most straightforward route.
"It was difficult [to adjust] because when you play higher up you are very rarely isolated in a defensive situation. That was the strangest thing - being one-on-one with someone out wide, with no-one to help.
"I've always enjoyed right-back as there is a lot more freedom going forward. It's a lot more chaotic in the middle.
"I probably get more of the ball now than I did when I was in midfield. It's just about trying to influence the game as much as possible from out there.
"Going into a game I don't play to make the full-back position 'sexy'. I just think a lot of people underestimate how important the full-back position is. It's vital in the sense you've got to be up and down the pitch, creating things but also defending.
"I just go out there and try to make the team win - whether that means I'm playing 'sexy' football or not."
Liverpool will move 25 points clear at the top of the Premier League table if they beat Bournemouth on Saturday.
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