Rodgers Delighted With Backroom Staff

After landing his third signing of the summer, with Simon Mignolet soon to make it four, Brendan Rodgers paid tribute to the backroom staff who had sacrificed summer holidays to ensure the Reds got their business conducted quickly.

Luis Alberto joins Kolo Toure and Iago Aspas at Anfield, with even more arrivals anticipated before the players report back for pre-season training next month.

And Rodgers said: “There has been a lot of great work gone on over the last six months. We wanted to get as much of our work done as early as we possibly could for the summer so we could get the group back in and get the players together as quickly as we can.

“It’s been a good summer for us so far.

“I think every club and every manager would love to get transfer business done as early as they possibly could. We had made a conscious effort this summer to do that.

“It’s great credit to everyone at the club and our recruitment team, our analytical team, Ian Ayre our managing director and the owners who have backed us really well.

“There has been a lot of work that has gone on and a lot of people sacrificing holidays to ensure we can get the players in we want.”

Rodgers added: “Kolo Toure is a player I’ve admired since he came into the Premier League. He was a wonderful servant for Arsenal and a part of that ‘Invincibles’ group and did exceptionally well, and in the transformation of Manchester City, they brought him in as one of their key players.

“We’re losing an absolute colossal player in Jamie Carragher, who was absolutely brilliant for me. It’s very, very hard to replace that type.

“Kolo Toure will give us that experience and winning mentality. He’s still very fit, very strong and will come in, offer that support and fight for his place in the team.

“Iago Aspas was one of the stars for Celta Vigo. He’s a goalscorer, he’s quick, dynamic, aggressive in his game and has a winning mentality.

“I feel these are the types of players that can come into Liverpool and keep our momentum moving forward. Players that are hungry to succeed, because that’s important for us.

“We have to bring in players that are willing to fight for the shirt and these players are very much hungry to do that.”