Cole targets new chapter

The midfielder returned to Melwood this summer having spent the 2011-12 campaign on loan at Lille - and now he's determined to show Liverpool fans he has much to offer.

"When I signed for Liverpool, I wanted to be part of the revival of this great club and nothing has changed in that respect," Cole said.

"There is no point looking back in football. That has been and gone, and I am just looking forward now.

"Everything I have done in my career is in the bank and has been done. But I want to write new chapters. My goal is still the same.

"I want to help make this club successful. I want to be part of this team and help my team.

"I know I've got to win people over. I have spoken with Brendan and as far as I am concerned, I am here, I am looking forward to the season and we will go from there."

Cole was one of the first players to begin pre-season training this summer and admits to sensing a real feeling of positivity around the club following the arrival of Rodgers as manager.

"The lads have all been impressed with everything that he has done," he said. "Training has been good and he is just on the ball with everything. You see him in and around the place, he is top drawer. It is a happy camp at the moment.

"The club just feels so much more settled now compared to when I signed. Liverpool fans are well educated with their football. They have seen so many great players and they also know the not so good players. They also know a good manager and you speak to anyone out here or back home and they know we have got a good manager. They are right behind the gaffer.

 "I can only see us going in one direction but we have got to work hard to make sure that happens."

Having played the second half of Saturday's 1-1 draw with Toronto, Cole will again be out to try and impress against AS Roma at Fenway Park on Wednesday.

And though it's still early days in Rodgers' reign, the 30-year-old believes there are already signs of the new manager's philosophies being implemented.

"It was good to get the first game out of the way and great for me personally to pull on the shirt again," added Cole.

"The atmosphere in Canada was amazing. These kind of games are notoriously slow. The pitches aren't great and you are finding your feet but I thought we did well.

"Whenever you change managers he wants to put a stamp on it. We passed the ball well and you could even see our goalkeepers looking to get on the ball. There were a lot of shorter passes and you can see the mindset is changing."

Rodgers deployed his favoured 4-4-3 formation against Toronto - a system Cole is familiar with and one he feels can bring the best out of him.

"I hope it suits my strengths," he said. "I was involved in Adam Morgan's goal against Toronto and I had some nice touches. I felt that I did all right.

"I was playing this way in Lille with Rudi Garcia. It is good, expansive football. Brendan's style looks off the cuff when it's done well but it isn't. It is very, very tactical. You are concentrating hard and thinking constantly.

"Every training session has been brilliant. You can see the young lads improving all the time because they are having to think about what to do when they do have the ball and when they don't."

Cole continued: "It's not traditional for this club to change managers but what we need now is stability.

"Everyone needs to be settled and I am 100 per cent sure that the right man is in the job now. He is the best out there.

"The fans know sixth, seventh and eighth in the last three seasons isn't good enough. But we're rebuilding and it's work in progress now. We've got the right manager."