Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has expressed his delight following the signing of Andy Carroll from Newcastle United, and has hit back at critics of the £35 million spent on the striker.
The Reds boss, who has also welcomed Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez to Anfield, has stated that the club has signed a player of great potential, rubbishing thoughts that the 22-year-old will struggle to justify his price tag.
He said: "I don’t want it to be negative in any way, shape or form about Andy Carroll signing for Liverpool football club. He’s a great signing for us, as is Luis’ signing, it’s fantastic for us.
"And we can reassure Andy that we’re more positive than yourselves are [the media]."
Dalglish also insisted that the club wasn’t going to rush the 22-year-old into first team action, as he looks to recover from a thigh injury.
He said: "We’re really looking forward to getting him up and ready and working and I’m sure he’s anxious as well but he’s just got to be conscious of the fact that he doesn’t push too hard.
"So we’ll look after him, get him fit and he’ll play when he’s fit and ready. It might be a few weeks but we never signed him for a few weeks, we signed him for five-and-a-half years. So that’s what we’re looking forward to.
"He’s got fantastic potential. He’s already part of the England squad and for us it’s a fantastic signing for us. He’s the best person we could have got in here to wear the No.9 shirt and at such a young age, when you consider that he’s wore the No.9 at Newcastle, which is a fantastic honour and he can wear the No.9 here as well.
"For somebody at 22 years of age that’s a lot to carry on your shoulders and he’s showed by what he did at Newcastle that he’s capable of doing that. Anybody that can wear that No.9 shirt up there and score goals has got a chance.
"We know that he’s only a young boy. We know the price might be a bit more than what some people think it should be but then every single person in here has got to justify their wages and their costs so if you can do that with yourselves then surely he can do that for us."
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