Ilori, Sakho are our future, says Rodgers



Posted Thursday, September 19, 2013 by Foxsports.com

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers hopes Tiago Ilori and Mamadou Sakho develop into the team's defensive stalwarts in the future.

Ilori, Sakho are our future, says Rodgers

Besides snapping up Kolo Toure on a free transfer from Manchester City, Rodgers bolstered the Liverpool defence further with the signings of Ilori and Sakho.

The Northern Irishman told the club's official website that he was counting on the latter duo to eventually become the Reds' first choice central defenders.

"I wanted to try and protect the present and the future of the club, good centre-halves are so hard to find. You look at some teams and they have ageing centre-halves because it is a struggle to get a really good one. We were fortunate in that two became available," Rodgers shared.

"One we had been tracking for a year in Tiago Ilori, a young talent who can be a big talent. He is 6ft 3in, super quick, powerful, can jump. He just needs to adapt to the pace and physicality of the Premier League. He is one for the future but he can be a really big talent. Sakho is 23 but he is an experienced player, he has senior international caps and looks an absolute monster in training. He is one who is ready for now and that is what we want. We had a chance to protect the club for maybe the next 10 years and that is what we have done."

In the recently concluded summer window, Liverpool moved to secure eight new players and Rodgers believed the added competition would bring out the best from his squad.

"What we are doing here means we will never be reliant on one player, the whole make-up is about the team so that we can take one out and put one in and still be strong," he explained.

"They will get their chance. Martin Skrtel took his chance and that is their job. Every day in training I assess who is on form and who has the desire to be in the team. It is not a problem."

Liverpool welcome Southampton to Anfield for the teams' Premier League fixture on Saturday.



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