Robbie Keane is relishing the prospect of teaming up with Fernando Torres after completing his £20.3million move from Tottenham to Liverpool.
Keane, the 28-year-old Republic of Ireland captain, agreed a four-year deal at Anfield after undergoing a medical at Liverpool's Melwood training ground and could now establish a mouth-watering partnership in attack with Spain striker Torres.
The pair could become one of the deadliest strike combinations in the Barclays Premier League, and Keane is a big fan of his new team-mate.
'He has been a revelation since he came to the Premier League. He was absolutely outstanding last year and also in the Euros with Spain,' Keane said.
'It is hard to leave Tottenham with some of the players they had - like Dimitar Berbatov, who I had a great relationship with - but Torres is probably the best striker in the world right now. Hopefully we can play a lot of games together and do well.'
Keane should play just off Torres in the Liverpool formation, and hopes to bridge the gap between midfield and Torres.
'I see myself as a second striker," he said. 'I can play off the shoulder, link things up and play in the hole. You are always judged on scoring goals as a striker and I have always scored a lot of goals. Hopefully I can continue that here at Liverpool.'
The new Reds frontman turned down Liverpool as a 14-year-old in favour of joining Wolves, and is relieved the opportunity to join the club he supports came up again.
'The last four years have been great for me and I believe I am at my peak,' he said.
Fernando Torres
'I am at a good age and if I didn't come to Liverpool now, maybe the opportunity wouldn't come again. It has worked out perfectly for me and, hopefully, for Liverpool Football Club as well.'
Keane is set to be handed the number seven shirt, famously worn by Anfield legends including Kenny Dalglish and Kevin Keegan.
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez revealed: 'We were talking about the number, and the big names that have had this number, so it will be inspirational for him to have it too.'
Benitez expects Keane, who has also played for Coventry, Inter Milan and Leeds, to strike up a fearsome partnership with Torres.
'We were looking for a player with game intelligence and good movement who could play alongside Torres," Benitez tsaid.
'He can play with Torres up front and also on the right.
'He is a player who can give to us a lot of goals - normally he gets about 15 each year. We were looking for the workrate he can give to us, the game intelligence and also the goals.'
Keane added: 'I do not think I let Spurs down. I had six fantastic seasons there and gave them everything. Since day one.
'I always give everything, and that will never change. The Spurs fans were always magnificent to me and I will always have a place in my heart for them.
'But this is a new chapter in my life and one that I am looking forward to. I had six great years at Spurs and thank them for that.
Keane will now wear the No 7 shirt at Liverpool made famous by legends like Kenny Dalglish and Kevin Keegan.
Keane said: 'To wear that shirt is an honour, and something I truly understand. If I can have half as much success in it as Keegan and Dalglish did, I will be a happy man'
He added: 'I've been waiting for this day since I was a kid. Everyone knows I am a massive Liverpool fan, so to be sitting here today in a Liverpool tracksuit is a dream come true.
'I always wanted to be a footballer as a kid, but also to play for Liverpool.
'Maybe you never feel it is going to happen. I could have come here as a teenager, but chose Wolves because I felt there would be more chance of immediate first team football, and that proved to be the case.
'Now I am enjoying every minute and I can't wait to pull on that red shirt.
'This is a massive club and want to do everything I can to make them even more
successful.
'The reasons I left Spurs are that I am a huge Liverpool fan and the chance to play for them may never come around again.
'This opportunity is something I couldn't let go. I am at an age now when I believe I am at my peak, and aim to kick on.
'This is a great opportunity now for me, the whole package that Liverpool has to offer really inspires me.
'I am just grateful to be here. I love the club and this is the one dream I
had still achieve.'
I don’t know why. When he is tangling with opponents, Rooney has to learn how to defend himself, not attack the opponent. ‘Maybe that has something to do with it. If you can protect yourself against challenges, it will be easier to keep your temper.’
Watching Rooney huff and puff around the beautiful Newlands Stadium on Saturday
in Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with the Kaizer Chiefs, it was tempting to agree with Pele.
Given 69 minutes by his manager Sir Alex Ferguson, Rooney’s most notable contribution was to tangle persistently with Chiefs defender and captain Jimmy Tau.
Rooney looked close to losing his temper on several occasions but perhaps onlookers like Pele should consider it is this sense of drive that has propelled him to the top.
Wearing a long-sleeved jersey under his United shirt in the sun, Rooney was perhaps trying to sweat off a couple of excess ounces. But to suggest he looks fat is ridiculous.
Ferguson said: ‘Wayne is a born fighter. That is what he is. He does get frustrated in some games but we don’t want to take that away from him. He is learning to control himself.’
The manager has greater issues on his mind as he prepares a strategy to tempt Tottenham to sell Dimitar Berbatov.
After Spurs chairman Daniel Levy accused Ferguson of publicly courting the Bulgarian — something the United camp deny — the Old Trafford boss may ask his club’s lawyers to look at the comments.
That issue is bound to fade away but United’s interest in the player will not. An increased bid of £25million is expected in the coming days.
Kaizer Chiefs went ahead on Saturday through a Jonathan Quartey penalty in the first half before Chris Eagles equalised with half an hour left.
United move on to Durban today where they meet Orlando Pirates tomorrow night.
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo, currently in America, has fended off more questions about a move to Real Madrid, saying: ‘I don’t know about the future, only God knows it.’
Newly single Cristiano Ronaldo took a glamorous actress back to his hotel suite after a night out on the town in Hollywood.
The Manchester United star let his hair down at trendy bar Nineteen 12 - located inside the luxury Beverly Hills Hotel - in the early hours of Friday morning LA time.
After a fun evening with friends and plenty of vodka cocktails, he was set up with a pretty brunette by his manager.
The pair retreated to his room shortly after 2am, MailOnline has learned.
A source said: 'Cristiano's agent didn't want him spend the night alone, so he set him up with a beautiful brunette who was hanging around the bar at the end of the evening.
'Cristiano didn't waste any time. After a couple of drinks, her took her up to his room.'
Ronaldo - who is still on crutches as he recuperates from an ankle operation - had been drinking White Russian and vodka pineapple cocktails.
Earlier in the evening he had dinner at trendy restaurant Madeo with friends and another prospective blind date.
The source said: 'He decided he wanted to meet a lady tonight. He said it was his 'mission' to find a nice pretty American girl.'
Meanwhile the 23-year-old has confirmed to friends that he has indeed split with Spanish model Nereida Gallardo.A separate source who has been spending time with the footballer in LA told MailOnline: 'Cristiano has asked for us to set him up on dates and says he is single.
'He hasn't gone into detail about his breakup with Nereida. But he did say he really likes American women.'
Ronaldo has been in the States for the past few days.
As MailOnline first reported, he spurned the advances of socialite Paris Hilton during a night out at Hollywood club Villa on Tuesday night.
The following evening, he went toa sports awards event also attended by David and Victoria Beckham.
And before tonight's fun, a flirtatious Ronaldo was spotted flirting in a hotel pool with two bikini-clad girls.
Onlookers said he was anxious to catch the eye of one blonde guest in particular as he soaked up the sun and worked on his tan.
The departure of Brazilian midfielder Gilberto to Panathinaikos today will lead Arsene Wenger to consider a fresh approach for Aston Villa's unsettled England international Gareth Barry.gareth barry
With Barry's planned move to Liverpool left in doubt by the Anfield club's unwillingness to meet Villa's £18million valuation, the opportunity to hijack the deal may prove overwhelming.
Gilberto is the second holding midfield player to leave Emirates Stadium following Mathieu Flamini's move to AC Milan, leaving Wenger desperately short of cover in the centre of the pitch.
Barry has been forced to report for pre-season training with Villa for the first time today since he criticised manager Martin O'Neill in a newspaper article and was fined two weeks' wages.
O'Neill was also angry with Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez for openly courting his captain and relations between the two have now soured beyond repair.
Wenger could now capitalise on the situation and, armed with extra money from the sale of Gilberto, is expected to make an official approach having previously asked to be kept informed of developments in Barry's status.
Gilberto will undergo a medical in Athens and then put pen to paper on a contract that will see him earn around £6m over the next three years.
Despite being made vice-captain of Arsenal in 2006, Gilberto found himself on the fringes of the first team last season due to the presence of Cesc Fabregas and the emergence of Flamini.
Champion Roger Federer snuffed out the challenge of the last man to beat him on grass with a 6-1 7-5 6-4 victory over Mario Ancic in the Wimbledon quarter-finals on Wednesday.
The Croat, then 18, upset Federer in the first round on his Wimbledon debut in 2002, since when the Swiss has won 64 consecutive matches on grass, 39 at the London grand slam where he has lifted the trophy five times in a row.
World number one Federer, in devastating form from the start, allowed Ancic only one point in his first four service games as he ran away with the opening set.
Ancic improved after a rain delay lasting two hours and 13 minutes with the score 1-1 in the second set, playing a full part in some high quality rallies.
Games went with serve until the 11th when the 1.95-metre tall Croat netted a volley to give his opponent the break point.
Federer was in full flow in the third set and won the match in one hour and 41 minutes on his first match point, going into a semi-final against Russia's Marat Safin.
When play resumed after the rain delay Ancic immediately looked like he had benefited with a marked improvement in his game.
But Federer still took the only break when Ancic netted a volley to go to deuce then double faulted to hand the Swiss the point.
A great rally was won by Ancic in the next game but Federer then hit three service winners in a row followed by an ace to take the set.
Ancic, at 24 two years younger than Federer, won a 16-minute game at the start of the third set which went to deuce 10 times and in which he fended off four break points.
He was less successful four games later when Federer continued to apply his slide-rule tennis, finding the lines and corners with consummate ease, and converted the first break point to go 3-2 up.
Federer set himself up with three match points but needed only one, hitting a second serve as though it was a first straight down the middle at 112 mph for an ace.
After that defeat by Ancic in 2002, Federer has now beaten the Croatian in all six of their subsequent meetings.
The Croat, then 18, upset Federer in the first round on his Wimbledon debut in 2002, since when the Swiss has won 64 consecutive matches on grass, 39 at the London grand slam where he has lifted the trophy five times in a row.
World number one Federer, in devastating form from the start, allowed Ancic only one point in his first four service games as he ran away with the opening set.
Ancic improved after a rain delay lasting two hours and 13 minutes with the score 1-1 in the second set, playing a full part in some high quality rallies.
Games went with serve until the 11th when the 1.95-metre tall Croat netted a volley to give his opponent the break point.
Federer was in full flow in the third set and won the match in one hour and 41 minutes on his first match point, going into a semi-final against Russia's Marat Safin.
When play resumed after the rain delay Ancic immediately looked like he had benefited with a marked improvement in his game.
But Federer still took the only break when Ancic netted a volley to go to deuce then double faulted to hand the Swiss the point.
A great rally was won by Ancic in the next game but Federer then hit three service winners in a row followed by an ace to take the set.
Ancic, at 24 two years younger than Federer, won a 16-minute game at the start of the third set which went to deuce 10 times and in which he fended off four break points.
He was less successful four games later when Federer continued to apply his slide-rule tennis, finding the lines and corners with consummate ease, and converted the first break point to go 3-2 up.
Federer set himself up with three match points but needed only one, hitting a second serve as though it was a first straight down the middle at 112 mph for an ace.
After that defeat by Ancic in 2002, Federer has now beaten the Croatian in all six of their subsequent meetings.
