Emre: The league of beasts suits my game
As he awaits his Barclays Premier League bow, Emre Can outlined his belief that the physical and technical attributes he boasts can prove ideal for Brendan Rodgers and English football.
The German youth international was the third new recruit captured by Liverpool this summer, having caught the eye during a breakthrough season with Bayer Leverkusen in 2013-14.
His powerful build, strength, control of the ball and athleticism were used to strong effect in the Bundesliga and Champions League, belying the 20-year-old's relatively tender age.
Now Can is determined to show that his playing style can complement that preferred by Rodgers and simultaneously settle quickly into the unique demands of the Premier League.
"The Brendan Rodgers style suits me, and I can adapt to it quickly," the No.23, who has been with the Reds since the beginning of July, told Liverpoolfc.com.
"He wants to play football and that's what I do. I am here to play so I hope to be ready to feature quickly. In the Premier League, there are a lot of 'big beasts'.
"I am also one of them, so I'm going to give my best. The Premier League style suits me; to be a physical and strong player is important and I am looking forward to putting that to good use."
After featuring throughout Liverpool's pre-season schedule, Can remained on the substitutes' bench during the hard-fought 2-1 victory over Southampton on the opening weekend.
Reflecting on that win, he continued: "The most important thing was to win the first match of the season, and I think we deserved the 2-1 victory.
"Of course, one wants to play, but I am not yet 100 per cent fit and the coach chose not to play me. I have to continue to work on my fitness to give my best and persuade the coach to pick me to start."
The midfielder will hope that maiden competitive start arrives on Monday, when the Reds travel to the Etihad Stadium to challenge Premier League champions Manchester City.
Having watched the highlights at the time of the previous meeting between the two sides - a dramatic 3-2 Liverpool triumph in April - he is naturally keen to be involved.
"I am looking forward to this match, last season's first against second," Can admitted. "I'm sure it will be a big match. We won the first match and to win the second is also important.
"I think all of our players can go into that second match confidently, having won our first match. We all have a great deal of self-belief and we can go into that match to win it."