Liverpool new boy Charlie Adam has expressed relief and delight at scoring his first goal for the Reds, with the midfielder starring early on for the club in their friendly with Malaysia XI on Saturday.
Adam opened the scoring in the 27th minute with a penalty kick, in what ended up us a convincing win for the Reds as they triumphed 6-3.
And the former Blackpool star insists that despite taking a moment to celebrate scoring his first goal in a Liverpool shirt, he is focused on getting even better at Merseyside before the season starts.
“It’s a proud moment to join this club and to score a goal feels great,” Adam told the Liverpool Daily Post. “But it’s not just about scoring the goals I’ve got to work hard and get my fitness levels up. Hopefully then the goals will come.
“I was just glad to put it away and hopefully as I get fitter I can get more goals and enjoy my time at this club."
Adam said that the goal was made even more special by the difficult conditions he faced. “It’s always going to be a difficult match with the humidity and it was only my second 45 minutes of pre-season,” Adam said.
"We move on to Singapore now and look forward to being back in England and playing Hull City, which will be another tough game for us.”
Adam, who signed for Liverpool at the beginning of July, believes the Asian friendlies against Malaysia XI and Guangdong will be the perfect run-up to a tough start to the season, where the side face Arsenal and Stoke away, along with Tottenham at home, in their first five matches.
“Malaysia are a good side with some good players, so it was a perfect test for us before we go back to England and continue the preparation for the start of the season,” he added. “The main aim for us is to come through pre-season without any injuries and be ready for August 13. That’s when we are judged.”
Meanwhile, Kenny Dalglish's number two Steve Clarke has been impressed by how Jole Cole has acquitted himself in pre-season so far after a difficult spell as a Liverpool player.
Clarke believes former Chelsea midfielder Cole can make a big impression this season, and adds: “At the end of last season he was not getting in the team because the team was playing well. But he has gone away, trained hard and had a good summer.
"Joe Cole is a top international player and he has a big contribution to make to the future. He is the same Joe Cole I coached at Chelsea, just a couple of years older and a little bit wiser.
"He knows the position he is in. It has been difficult for him because he has not been involved but when he gets the chance it is up to him to take it."