Mamadou Sakho says he felt like a 'caged lion' under Brendan Rodgers

After spending the better part of the season in Brendan Rodgers's doghouse, Mamadou Sakho has lashed out at the former Liverpool manager.

The defender says he felt like a caged animal amid the manager's unwillingness to offer him chances to play. Sakho only made three Premier League starts out of eight before Rodgers was fired Sunday after the Merseyside derby.

"Let's say that during the short period when I was not playing, I was like a little caged lion who has not fed for a while," Sakho told French news outlet L'Equipe.

Sakho was particularly feisty during Sunday's encounter with Everton, when he was involved in scuffles with Steven Naismith and Romelu Lukaku before teammates were forced to pull him away.

"(Like a caged lion) when you open the door: he charges," he said.

Perhaps Sakho's circumstances will improve under a new manager, with Liverpool expected to offer the job to former Borussia Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp.

- With translation from The Telegraph