[article=http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/25751479?]Sunderland's Fabio Borini says despite predominantly being used out wide, he considers himself a centre-forward.
The 22-year-old has made 19 appearances for the Black Cats after joining on loan from Liverpool in August, although nine of those have come from the bench.
"Lately, I look like a utility player but personally, my role is to play in the centre, nearer the goal," Borini told BBC Newcastle.
"But it is the manager's choice to use me on the wing."
He added: "I'll keep trying to improve every game, even if I think it's not my position."
Then a striker, Borini moved to Anfield for £10.5m in 2012 having scored nine Serie A goals for Roma the previous season.
He has started Sunderland's last six matches after scoring a late equaliser having come on as a substitute in the League Cup win over Chelsea the game before.
During December's match with Cardiff, the Italy forward was taken to hospital after being taken ill at half-time.
He had been unwell prior to the game, but decided to play anyway.
"In that game, I had more chances to score than in any other time this season," Borini explained.
"Because I was sick beforehand, I was not running up and down the pitch as much as I would usually like to.
"So I was closer to the Cardiff area, meaning I could get more shots on goal. Unluckily for me their goalkeeper [David Marshall] was superb."[/article]
[article=http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/360665/Sunderland-striker-Fabio-Borini-will-leave-the-club-to-fight-for-his-place-at-Liverpool]Borini is determined to show he’s no Kop flop, despite being farmed-out loan after his first season on Merseyside was ruined by injury.
The Italian striker has been a hit on Wearside after putting in some impressive displays playing out of position wide left to help Gus Poyet’s team.
He earned cult status with the winner in October’s Wear-Tyne clash against Newcastle, one of the three times he’s found the net so far in 10 starts.
But despite enjoying life in the north east, the 22-year-old says he has unfinished business at Anfield.
“I’ll finish my season here and then after that I’ll go back to Liverpool because that’s my contract,” said the £10m striker.
“It would be nice to go back there as a Premier League player and to have shown them that even in a hard situation I can do well.
”I’ve achieved one of my objectives here at Sunderland of playing every week, but to play for big teams like Liverpool, you don’t just need to perform well.
“As a striker you need to score goals. You can perform well, but at the end of the season people count your goals.
“I needed to prove to myself first that I can play here because I’ve never had a long spell playing in England but now I’m getting a long run of games.
“The main aim is to stay up, we can’t think about going down. With my confidence on the rise, hopefully I can help us in that aim.”[/article]
