Liverpool midfielder Joe Allen has declared that he wants to model his game on Barcelona playmaker Xavi and hopes to be as good as the Spanish maestro one day.

Allen moved to Anfield for £13m in the summer and has received high praise from Reds boss Brendan Rodgers for his start to life on Merseyside.

The Welshman believes that he must aim high to keep motivated and that means trying to match the achievements of his favourite player.

He told The Mirror: "I know I've got to work hard on all aspects of my game on all aspects of my game, particularly my goalscoring record, to reach the top level.

"But I'm ambitious and, as long as I keep working and developing, why shouldn't I aim to be as good as someone like Xavi?

"I knew the price tag would be a challenge in itself, but I was ready for that and to prove my worth."

The 22-year-old makes his first return to Swansea tomorrow to take on his former club in a Premier League clash at the Liberty Stadium.