Georginio Wijnaldum: Liverpool 'Don't Want to Think We Are Already Champions'

Liverpool's Georginio Wijnaldum has said the Reds don't want to believe they are already Premier League champions, and manager Jurgen Klopp will do all he can to keep them grounded. 

The team entered the international break with a healthy eight-point lead in the Premier League standings, but Wijnaldum told Sky Sports they are not getting ahead of themselves:

"We don't want to think we are already champions. That would be a really wrong thing to do.

"I'm sure the manager will keep us with our feet on the ground and say that we just have to think about ourselves, and try to play good and try to give 100 per cent every week.

"We just have to do what we did before and look at ourselves and not look too much to other teams because we don't have influence on other teams—we can't control the performance of other teams.

"We just have to make sure we are ready for the games that are to come and to make sure we are ready and try to have good results because we know that it can change quickly.

"Then at the end of the season we will see where we stand."

Here is the interview:

Liverpool have won all eight of their Premier League matches so far, and with Manchester City losing two of their last four outings in the English top division, the Reds hold a commanding lead over the defending champions.

The Reds narrowly got the win over Leicester City in their last outing, courtesy of a last-minute penalty:

They were in an excellent position last season as well, however, building a seven-point lead over the Sky Blues in January before Pep Guardiola and his troops stormed back to claim the title.

Memories of that run will still be fresh for the Reds, who saw little squad turnover in the summer.

The 28-year-old Wijnaldum has started all eight of Liverpool's Premier League wins so far, scoring the only goal in the win over Sheffield United. He's become a crucial piece in midfield, where he usually teams up with Fabinho and Jordan Henderson.

The Dutchman does the bulk of his damage at home, although his only goal of the Premier League campaign so far came on the road:

Wijnaldum and Netherlands will face Northern Ireland and Belarus during the international break. He'll then return to Liverpool for a crucial run of fixtures that will see them play Manchester United and Tottenham in the Premier League before the end of October.