SKRTEL AND RAFA ON TODAY'S TRANSFER

Serafino Ingardia 11 January 2008
	Martin Skrtel was unveiled to the press at Melwood today. Here's what the 23-year-old Slovak and his new boss had to say.
MARTIN SKRTEL Martin, how pleased are you to be at Liverpool? Very, very much. How much do you know about Liverpool? Although I wasn't a special fan of Liverpool, I watched football a lot and everybody knows about them. Were there other clubs interested in signing you other than Liverpool? [Rafa Benitez steps in to answer question] I can answer better than him. When we started talking with them he was very excited and Liverpool were his first choice. There were two or three English clubs asking for him but he preferred us. He was very pleased. What about the competition for a starting place? The competition for a place in a team like Liverpool is always high. But the manager gave me his trust and I will do my best to keep it. You are now Liverpool's most expensive defender, how does it make you feel? I am a player and I don't want to look at how much was paid. These things are up to the manager and the board. Do you think it will take you time to adjust to the pace of the English game? Probably yes, but I will do my best. In Russia I wasn't training because of the winter break. I should comeback into fitness in around 10 days. Was it your ambition to play in the Premier League? Yes, but it is always hard for a player from Slovakia. Playing abroad in Russia for three years and a half was a good preparation. But yes, it is always a dream for any footballer to play in this league. RAFA BENITEZ Have you been following Martin for a long time, Rafa? We were scouting him since when he was 18. His last game was against Everton and we knew it could have been a good signing for us. What kind of player is he? Martin has pace, he is good in the air and he is aggressive. I would say he is more similar to Carra than Agger. He can play in the centre - either on the left or the right side, more or less like Carragher. Why did you decide to sign him? We needed a centre-back and we were working really hard trying to find the right player. The prices in the market are really high and so once you decide what kind of player you need, you have to go for it. When will he be ready to play? The problem now is that he hasn't been training for 10 to 15 days but he is very strong and talented. He is available but it depends on the tests we make, and also Agger is fit now. It doesn't matter about the price and the age; every player needs to settle down in England and we don't want to put pressure on him. He is Liverpool's most expensive defender, will that put pressure on him? Not really. The market is crazy nowadays and the key is to sign the right player at the right price. When we signed Agger people didn't see much of him in the first six months and now they say he is a fantastic player. So, Martin needs time and he will grow with the team. Everybody is happy now that the player is here.

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