Kenny: Carroll is a fantastic talent
We caught up with Kenny Dalglish to get his reaction to our record-breaking transfer deadline day dealings.
It's been a busy 24 hours - how do you reflect now that the transfer window has closed?
It has been very busy. For the life of me I can't understand why everything is left to the last minute but that's normally what happens.
Just over 48 hours ago we had Luis Suarez coming to the club, who is a fantastic signing. He's someone who has been on the radar here for a long time and someone who was brought in to really enhance the squad. He's got a fantastic goalscoring record. For a Uruguayan to go to Ajax and become club captain speaks volumes for him as a person. He's been around the place over the last couple of days and although he hasn't been able to train while we were waiting for paperwork and his work permit to be completed, he's a smiley type of guy and looks a good character. Obviously the language might be a slight barrier but once he gets over that I'm sure he'll be bubbly and effervescent. Every football club needs a good dressing room and I'm sure he'll add to that.
The other one we have brought in is Andy Carroll. As everyone knows, he is a young boy with a fantastic talent and this is a great opportunity for him. He was in the England squad last year and did very well. I know Newcastle will be deeply hurt to lose him but it's a great signing for us.
A very important factor for us is that both players wanted to come here. Liverpool was their first choice. Certainly in Luis' case he had other options but he chose here for the right reasons. He loves the club and has a little bit of history of watching the club on television when he was younger. Andy Carroll is exactly the same. He was leaving Newcastle which was a wrench for him as a local boy, but if he was going to go anywhere there was only one club he'd want to come to.
That's a fantastic accolade to the football club, to the supporters, the owners and everyone connected with it. The owners have been fantastically supportive during this window. In fact they may be slightly disappointed they didn't get someone else.
Anyone who had any doubts about hunger or anybody taking this club forward, they're gone now. In the summer we'll be looking forward to trying to enhance what we've got.
It was busy but I think very beneficial to the football club.
What are the qualities which you believe Andy Carroll will bring to the club?
He's just a young boy with a great talent. He's a big lad but is very good on the deck as well, he has good feet, he's very strong in the air and he'll give us a bit of presence up front. He's a little bit different to what we've been used to but it won't change our principles and philosophies of how we want to play.
At the moment he's got a bit of a knock and is probably a few weeks away from playing, but the signing wasn't made to cover a few weeks. He signed for five and a half years and there's a lot of weeks in that time when he'll be fit and playing for us.
You know all about striking partnerships at Liverpool over the years - how does Carroll and Suarez sound to you?
It sounds pretty good to me! I'm sure people are going to enjoy watching them play in the same team.
You mentioned the owners earlier - they couldn't have done much more for you in this transfer window, could they?
They're as ambitious as anybody else and they understand we have to move forward for everyone's sake. They are prepared to support us and will do the best they can possibly do.
It was an old adage that was here before, and without wanting to sound pre-historic, the old formula of the Liverpool way from years gone by wasn't a bad formula to follow and they are certainly following that. They want the greatest assets for Liverpool Football Club on that pitch.
Finally, Fernando Torres also left the club on deadline day. What is your reaction to that?
We're disappointed that he's gone but the football club will continue and the football club will try its best to move on and go from strength to strength. The football club will appreciate people that have been here and had a go for the club, but it won't dwell on the past. We'll look forward and look upwards hopefully.
I think I have said it before, but there is no one anywhere in the world at any stage who is any bigger or any better than this football club.
source : http://www.liverpoolfc.tv
