Voronin will battle with opponents and for place

Jul 7 2007 by Nick Smith, Liverpool Daily Post

IN terms of transfer fees, he’s at completely the opposite end of the scale to Fernando Torres. But Andriy Voronin yesterday stood shoulder to shoulder with his new team-mate in his defiance in the face of the Premiership’s most rough and ruthless defences.

While Torres was paraded two days earlier as Anfield’s prized £20million asset, Voronin’s unveiling as the free transfer following the end of his Leverkusen contract was considerably more low key.

There was, however, little difference in the message they sent out to anyone who wants to make their welcome to life in a Premiership forward line as uncomfortable as possible.

Because like Torres, Voronin has no intention of letting anything stand in his way – least of all the language barrier when outlining his determination to fight fire with fire.

Following Torres’s lead and speaking through an interpreter, Voronin said: “I like the aggression of the English game and I really want to be a part of it.

“One of my best qualities is my very strong character that I can show on the football pitch.

“For the past few years in Germany I’ve been watching the English Premiership and all the English teams and I like the English style of football.”

He wasn’t so keen on English style in 2005, however, as Liverpool showed far too much of it for Voronin and his Leverkusen team-mates to cope with.

They won 3-1 in both legs of their last 16 Champions League tie, a 6-2 aggregate win that set them on their way to lifting the trophy the following May.

Despite the scoreline, however, the Ukrainian World Cup striker does have happier memories of that tie, particularly the first leg at Anfield.

He added: “I will never forget that night, even though my team didn’t perform as well as we could. Even for an opposition player, the supporters and the atmosphere in that stadium were unforgettable, and definitely the thing I remember most from that match.

“The Liverpool fans are world famous, and though this was not the only reason I decided to join this club, it was certainly one of the main reasons. I can’t wait to play at Anfield in a red shirt.

“Quite a few others were interested, some Spanish clubs, but my agent dealt with that. As soon as Liverpool were interested in me we decided to concentrate on them.”

Although a price tag in the Torres bracket won’t be weighing Voronin down, it is reasonable for supporters to assume that his free transfer implies he has been brought in on a ‘nothing to lose’ basis – handy to have in the squad but hardly a waste of money if he’s not involved.

It’s clear, however, that neither he nor manager Rafael Benitez buy into that.

Voronin said: “It’s not about money spent on other players, all I want to do is play well, perform well and there will be quite a few friendly games and training sessions where I can prove myself.

“I’m here to play in the first team.”

Benitez made sure that the Champions League meeting with Leverkusen was also memorable for Voronin, as his performances stuck in the Spaniard’s mind when he became available.

A clear indication that the 27-year-old is being lined up for a role more taxing than just merely making up the four-striker quota.

“When we were looking for a striker he was our first choice and we signed him first because he is a free transfer,” said Benitez.

“But maybe that’s better for him because he will not have the pressure of the others.

“These kind of players normally perform better because they are not under pressure.”

The versatility of Voronin could go some way towards solving the headache Benitez currently has in securing effective and consistent wide men.

However, the manager is more encouraged by the player’s reference to ‘aggression’ as a hint that he is ready for the fight.

With Benitez having earlier in the week waxed lyrical about the physical traits of Torres being ideally suited to his new environment, it’s no wonder his goatee beard was surrounding a wide smile for the second time in three days.

He added: “When you talk about a new player in a new country in a new league, if he can impress from the beginning, perfect.

“But normally you must give him time. He has the condition and the international experience to play well here but I will give him time.

“He has been talking about Italian football, German football and English football and I think German football is more similar to the English style so that can be an advantage.

“Defenders are very aggressive and very strong and these things may suit him.”

“He has played as a left winger and as a striker on his own and last season. I watched some videos of him on the left and right but this is not his position, he is a striker.

“But that means that we have another player that has game intelligence and I’m quite sure that will be an advantage.”

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