Moroccan Assaidi unsure about future after Stoke loan

Morocco international Oussama Assaidi does not know if he will return to Liverpool after his loan spell at Stoke finishes at the end of the season.

Assaidi has caught the eye with some excellent performances and four goals for Stoke since his summer switch.

He revealed: "Sometimes (Liverpool boss) Brendan Rodgers texts me but I don't know what will happen with me.

"I am very happy here, because (Stoke boss) Mark Hughes has made me better and given me confidence."

The 25-year-old added that at Stoke he is allowed to "do my job the way I want to" and it seems it has helped him find a rich vein of form.

It is a marked improvement from Assaidi's time with Liverpool, where he made only four substitute appearances in the Premier League and eight appearances in cup competitions, after Rodgers signed him from Dutch side Heerenveen in August 2012.

He initially struggled to break into the Stoke team but since coming off the bench to score the winner against Chelsea on 7 December, Assaidi has been a permanent fixture in the Stoke first XI.

And it has not gone unnoticed by Anfield boss Rodgers.

"He texts me sometimes if I score, saying 'well done', 'keep going' and 'I am hearing good things about you'," revealed Assaidi.

"But I love to play here for Stoke because they have given me a chance."

It is that sense of welcome that has given Assaidi a boost and he appears to feel very at home in Staffordshire - but it is not clear whether it will become a more permanent relationship rather than a holiday romance.

"Everyone at the club seems to like me. We will see at the end of the year what happens," Assaidi said.