Saturday 20 September 2014 08:17, UK
Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli needs to be given time to settle at Anfield, according to on-loan West Ham midfielder Alex Song.
Balotelli returned to the Premier League this summer in a £16million deal from AC Milan with Brendan Rodgers keen to bolster his striking options following the sale of Luis Suarez to Barcelona.
Song, who has joined West Ham on a season-long loan deal from the Catalan club, insists the former Manchester City man may not fill the void left by the controversial Uruguay international, but has backed him to succeed on Merseyside.
Former Arsenal man Song will be up against Balotelli this weekend when Liverpool make the trip to Upton Park for a match which is live on Sky Sports 1HD.
Song told The Sun: “Mario needs time at Liverpool, he is still so young. But he shouldn’t be seen as a direct replacement for Suarez.
“When I was at Arsenal I played with Thierry Henry and, when he left, the fans wanted to know who would replace him. But there’s no way you can replace him.
“Mario is the same. He wants to write his own story, as we all do. He will score lots of goals – there is still so much more to come.”
And Song believes that the impression many people have of Balotelli is wide of the mark, with the 24-year-old often making headlines for his on and off-field antics.
Mario is a strong player and a strong character. I love him because when people talk about him in a bad way, he can’t wait to show people they are wrong.
He added: “Mario is a strong player and a strong character. I love him because when people talk about him in a bad way, he can’t wait to show people they are wrong.
“When you see guys on the pitch, you can sometimes think they are arrogant but they are not. Outside of football you see a different face on the man.
“I have seen him do lots of things to make people smile. At the World Cup I saw that he was doing lots of things for young people in Brazil, he was helping young kids.
“Last December I went to Guinea for a charity and I asked him if he would sign a shirt for me. Two days later a signed shirt from him and one from Kaka arrived.
“I like the player and I like the man.”
Saturday Night Football - West Ham v Liverpool: 4.45pm, Sat, Sky Sports 1 HD
