Andrea Pirlo thinks Mario Balotelli can still be a successful striker despite his struggles at Liverpool.

The 24-year-old scored just four goals in 28 appearances for Liverpool last season after joining for £16m from AC Milan.

"He made mistakes when he was younger, he knows this," Pirlo toldshortlist.com. "But I hope next season goes well for him, because I still believe he has all the attributes to be one of the top forwards in Europe.

"I'll tell you that Mario is one of the nicest guys you will meet. I used to walk into training in Italy and even before he said something I could just look at his face and I would start laughing. There are never boring moments when Mario is around."