RAFAEL BENITEZ believes Glen Johnson has already started justifying his £17million price tag after the right-back helped Liverpool kick-start their championship challenge into life.

Johnson scored on his Anfield debut with an acrobatic overhead kick as Benitez’s side cruised to a comfortable 4-0 home win over Stoke City.

Fernando Torres had given Liverpool a fourth-minute lead, while late goals from Dirk Kuyt and substitute David Ngog completed the victory.

It was the perfect response from the Anfield outfit to criticism following their opening-day defeat at Tottenham Hotspur. And Benitez was delighted with the impact of Johnson, and said: "We were looking for a player with quality going forward and he has created a lot of chances in attack.

"He was a threat and scored a very good goal. Our idea was to have more quality in the wide areas and he showed this. The first goal was important and the second goal made a big difference as Stoke had to go forward and we were given more space and could create chances.

"We were patient, we were moving the ball and passing the ball well and had some good chances."

Torres responded to Benitez’s call to concentrate more on scoring than arguing with opposing defenders after a frustrating afternoon at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

And Benitez added: "I didn’t push him too hard, I just said he had to stay focused on football.

"He was focused and concentrated and did his job really well, scored a goal and was threat for the defenders."

Torres gave Liverpool an injury scare during the first half when he had to visit the dressing room for stitches after a clash of heads with Stoke centre-back Ryan Shawcross.

And Benitez said: "We are top table in terms of stitches now! Carra has 10 or 12, Skrtel has some and Torres had at least 10 stitches."

With Martin Skrtel having failed to overcome a jaw injury, 18-year-old Danny Ayala was handed a first senior start at centre-back, and both the youngster and the again impressive Lucas Leiva earned praise from Benitez.

"Lucas is a player with experience, he is still a young player and you could see today and everyone could see including the experts on television that he is a very good player," said the Spaniard. "He is a good professional and a good lad. Ayala is a young player and was a little bit nervous but he was very good. He has to work and has to play more games and have more experience.

"The understanding between all the players was better. Yossi Benayoun was doing very good movement, Gerrard did some good things and Torres was a threat as always."