Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has played down comparisons between his record signing Fernando Torres and Anfield legend Kenny Dalglish.

"If Fernando can play at the same level as Kenny Dalglish it would be amazing," Benitez told liverpoolfc.tv.

"Dalglish was a fantastic player, but Fernando will need time. It was important for him to score his first goal and to score such a great goal in front of your own supporters in a big game was even more important.

"He has showed he is good enough, but don't expect him to score a goal every week. Yes, he's capable of doing good things and he's a good prospect, but he needs to keep working and improving. He needs time and our support to do these things."

Despite his caution, Benitez admits Torres does bring something new to the mix which may have been lacking at Liverpool in previous seasons.

"It's a big difference for us to have a player like Fernando, a player who can score big goals in big games. He has experience at international level too," said the Reds boss.

"For the team it's important to have a player who can score and change the game, even when you're not playing well.

"When we decided to bring him here we analysed a lot of things and one of those was his mentality. We found that he has a very good mentality and can cope with pressure. He can play with big names and not be afraid."