Friday, September 05, 2008

Riera: Don't Judge Me On City Spell

Albert Riera today vowed to prove his worth at Anfield and insisted fans shouldn't judge him on his last spell in English football with Manchester City.

On the day Rafael Benitez unveiled his deadline day signing to the media at Melwood, Riera insisted his game has developed during the three years he has since spent in Spain - and now he can't wait to make an impact on Merseyside.

"That was a different moment," reflected Riera. "I went to Manchester City in January and we were playing for a place in the middle of the table.

"I was 22 but now I have three years more experience and this is very important in football. Since then I have played in a UEFA Cup final and I have played for the national team.

"I am now more prepared to play for a big club like Liverpool and I also know the Premier League.

"I think I am better now. I have made good progress and I want to continue this progress here.

Liverpool beat off competition from rival clubs - including Everton - to land the 26-year old, but Riera insists Anfield was the only destination he was interested in moving to.

"I am happy to be here," he added. "This is the first day with my team-mates. I wanted to come here because of the history, the Champions League, Anfield, the supporters and my team-mates. This is the perfect club for me.

"Espanyol had other offers, not just from Everton, but I told them I wanted to go to Liverpool.

"The most important thing for any player is to go out there to try and win every game. We want to try and fight to win everything, the Champions League, the Premier League and the two cups. These are the things I want."

Competition for the top prizes could have increased following the takeover at Riera's former club on deadline day, but Riera insists everyone at Anfield should just concentrate on their own performances rather than cast an eye down the M62.

"I know what has happened at City but the most important thing for me now is Liverpool," he said.

"They are one team we need to be careful of but we need to look at ourselves. If we do good things we do not need to think about other teams."

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