Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is delighted with the progress of French youngster David Ngog after his goal in last night's win over West Ham United.

Critics say Ngog is a raw talent, lacking the composure of a top-class striker and needing plenty of work to improve his decision-making. But Benítez said it would be wrong and unfair to compare his performances to those of Fernando Torres, generally regarded as one of the best strikers in the world.

"Everyone is expecting him to play like Torres but he is clearly a different kind of player with different movement but he can score goals," the Spaniard said. "He is not as prolific as Fernando but he is a young player trying his best and I have confidence in him.

"I think he was doing a good job. He has eight goals this year, which is not bad for a player who is so young. He is a clever player but he depends on the team. If the team is doing well he will score goals. He has improved a lot. There is plenty of room for more improvement but you can see a lot of things he is doing much better than last year."