New Liverpool signing Martin Skrtel is in the frame to make his debut tomorrow against Aston Villa.
He said: "To be the first Slovak to play for Liverpool makes me very happy. Not many Slovakian players have had the opportunity to play in the English league. I have and I will give it everything to succeed here.
Skrtel avoided the now customary boast at his unveiling that he had always supported the Reds. However, he revealed he is all too aware of goings on at Anfield over the last few years.
He said: "I know about the great history of Liverpool and the tradition. Watching the Champions League final when Liverpool played AC Milan in Istanbul left a big impression on me.
"That type of game doesn't happen every day. I watched it on the television and I thought at half-time, 'that's it'.
"What happened in the second-half was absolutely unbelievable." Skrtel also arrived with the high praise of boss Rafael Benitez who has compared his style to Jamie Carragher - a plaudit the player is very happy to accept.
He said: "I obviously knew about Jamie before I came here. He is a very good player and it's a compliment for me to be compared to him. "The manager has told me he will give me time to improve my fitness and fit in and I know about how tough the competition for places is here.
"That is a good thing for a club to have and I will give it my very best. "I will be working as hard as I can so I can get into the squad and I will also try to learn to speak English as soon as possible."
