Alberto Aquilani is definitely a quality player says Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez.

The Italian has struggled with fitness since joining the Reds in the summer and Liverpool fans are growing restless with the new signing especially considering he cost the club £20million.

But Benitez has assured everybody that the 25-year old Italy international is a top-class player and they will just have to wait until he is fit before they see his talents on show.

"You can see in everything he does that he has got quality," Benitez said.

"He knows when to pass at the right time and to the right players, he makes good decisions on the pitch.

"Alberto is training really well and he is doing extra work to make sure he is in the best possible condition; I spoke with him in the gym this week and he is very positive, his spirits are good.

"We have meetings every day with our medical staff to see how much we can keep pushing him and when the time is right to increase the levels of his work.

"He is a player who can pass the ball and we have seen that in the games he has played so far, even though he has not had too much time on the pitch."