Lovren punishes himself heavily after mistakes
Speaking to 'Sky Sports' the Liverpool defender has opened up about how he punishes himself by not talking to people "for days" when he makes a mistake.
Dejan Lovren has received heavy criticism for his defensive frailties during his spell at Anfield, with the most recent coming after Liverpool's dramatic 2-2 draw with Tottenham last Sunday.
The 28-year-old inadvertently played Harry Kane onside when he swiped erratically at a loose ball - a mistake which followed similar dismal showings against Sevilla and Everton this season too.
Although the Croatian chooses to ignore outside opinions on his performance, he can't help but punish himself after making such an error.
In the interview with the English media outlet, Lovren said: "I'm my biggest critic of myself when I make mistakes". I don't talk to anyone for a couple of days - this is me. This is the punishment for myself".
"What do other people think? I'm not bothered. What's important is what the manager says because he is the man in charge of me. If he's positive about me then that's confirmation for myself that I'm one of the best defenders in the Premier League".
He concluded: "When you go 18 games unbeaten people will say 'wow he's really good' but when you make mistakes they will point the finger at the back four."
The centre-back was speaking ahead of Liverpool's away league fixture against Southampton on Sunday, as he also reflected on the prospect of playing against his former club, who he has received jeers from in the past.
"There will be some strange feelings," he said. "The welcome doesn't bother me - maybe they miss me or something like that? This is why they are doing it".
"I had a great time at Southampton and will always be thankful for that. I never had any feelings of hate towards the Southampton fans - they helped me and of course, they made some good business."
Jurgen Klopp will be hoping that his side can secure all three points away from home, after Tottenham's 1-0 victory over north London rivals Arsenal on Saturday has intensified the battle for Champions League qualification in the Premier League.