Riera ready to fight for trophies

Liverpool new boy Albert Riera is confident he is better equipped for the Premier League now than he was with Manchester City three years ago.

Riera: Ready for Premier League
Riera: Ready for Premier League

Riera was unveiled at the Reds' Melwood training ground on Thursday and immediately set his sights on adding another chapter to the Merseyside club's rich history.

Rafa Benitez, who is believed to have paid Espanyol around Ģ8million for Riera, hopes the 26-year-old can finally solve the Reds' problems on the left flank and make himself the latest favourite of a crowd who have been spoiled with wide men like John Barnes and Billy Liddell in the past.

But while Benitez will be pleased with his new charge's enthusiasm for the tasks ahead, Riera concedes the billionaire investors of the Abu Dhabi United Group may be about to make the hunt for silverware even more difficult.

"At Liverpool the most important thing is when you are on the pitch to think only about winning," said Riera.

"It is important to fight for everything - to fight to win the Premier League, the Champions League and the two cups. I am sure we will enjoy fighting for all of these titles.

"We want to challenge for everything until the last minute of the last game.

"I want to be in finals and to challenge for the Premier League as well because for this club it is very important to challenge for the league."

Riera's only previous experience of English football came with City during a largely forgettable six-month loan spell, but the player is convinced he is now better equipped to make an impact.

"It was different when I was at Manchester City - I came in January for the second part of the season and we were playing for mid-table," he added.

"Also I was 22 and now I have three years more experience, which is very important in football.

"I have played in a UEFA Cup final and I have played international football so now I am prepared to be at a big club like this."

Your Comments

websurfer (Liverpool fan)

"Too many foreign players in Liverpool and in PL IMO. And I donīt see how Riera can bring something special to the team.

Look at Arsenal - no english players at all. Itīs a step in the wrong direction. UEFA have to do something. "

chriscarter4 (Liverpool fan)

"not sure if we should of signed this player or robbie keane. personally i would of rather kept kuyt on the left wing gerrard on the right and then spent our money on a world class striker to play with torres."

scouser1

"Reira is hardly a world beater I cannot see why Raffa keeps on saying he is a much improved player then when he was at Man City. Last season Reira scored 6 goals for Espanyol and created 5 thats hardly a record of a top winger is it? To play on the wing you need pace and Reira has no pace. I sincerely hope I am proved wrong but I dont have high expectations of Reira. It just angers me when you see world class left wingers such as Mancini and Vandervart who have twice the ability of Reira moved earlier in the summer for what we paid for Reira but at that time Raffa was far too concerned with signing Barry that he did not even consider these world class players and now we have to settle for another medicore average player. I am sure Reira will be a improvement on what we have on the left at the moment but frankly anyone would be a improvement as our left wing is woeful. I would like to see Raffa play Reira on the left and Babel on right as rightmid seems to be Babel natrual position he would be very effective from there but I fair that would be far too attacking for Rafffa's liking. Then there is Raffa's love affair with Kuyt I just cannot understand why Raffa persists in playing Kuyt on the right as clearly he cannot play there. It seems very simple play Reira on the left and Babel on the right then the team will be balanced, have pace on the wings and they will create goals for the strikers but I am sure Raffa will continue to play Kuyt on the right much to the disconenet and frustration of most fans."

Ch'ng (Liverpool fan)

"With Riera on board as the left footed left winger, I still doubt that Rafa going to play Riera and Babel as left and right winger due to his love for Kuyt as right winger(which is sucks). I personally think that Babel has done well for us in last season for us on the left even though he is not left footed. He will be very dangerous if he plays on the right. I am looking forward to see both of them open up the play for our strikers but I don't think Rafa going to make it a reality for all of us. Hope that Rafa will prove us wrong by playing them both on the same time.....YNWA"

Robbie_Loco (Liverpool fan)

"I hope this guy doesn't try his fancy disco moves in the Premier League - it just doesn't work. Even that pantomime queen Ronaldo seems to have realised this."

claret

"hes already flopped in the prem once so i dunno wot ure goin on about ur no good on the wing anyway kuyt is terrible aswell"

jcosker (Liverpool fan)

"I agree that we really were equally in need of a right winger as well as the left. Only Rafa can't see that because he loves Kuyt to death. Maybe with Babel/Riera staying wide left it will open up more room for the front line to move while Kuyt runs around all over the place. I hope he settles quicker than Keane has and provides great service and creates chances."

JakeLFC (Liverpool fan)

"I wasn't sure about this signing. But after hearing and reading this, he sounds confident. I hope for our sake he does well."

compoi (Liverpool fan)

"with him on the left, play Ryan Babel upfront wit keane. "

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