Martin Kelly is hoping a successful comeback from injury with Liverpool can result in a ticket to next summer's World Cup finals with England.

The defender has been out of action since last September after rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament.

Kelly has since returned to full training this pre-season and is targeting a return to the kind of form that saw him called up to the England squad for Euro 2012.

First and foremost, however, the 23-year-old knows he must regain a place in Brendan Rodgers' starting XI.

"The World Cup is certainly an incentive," he told the Liverpool Echo. "With Roy [Hodgson] being the England manager, I'm sure he will be looking.

"But for me at the start of the season I just need to concentrate on doing well for Liverpool. I need to show why Brendan Rodgers gave me the new contract. I need to give Brendan and Liverpool something back and show why he has faith in me.

"My first target is to get my fitness up, crack on and get back to where I was at the start of last season.

"In football, things can change quickly. If I take my chance again and do well then I'm sure the England manager will be watching."

Meanwhile, Kelly admits he's been impressed by Liverpool's two new summer Spanish signings - Iago Aspas and Luis Alberto - in training.

"They are new to me but I've seen in training already what they can do," he said.

"They have both got really quick feet and now it's just a case of them settling into English culture. I'm sure they'll be hitting the gym - that's what most foreign players seem to have to do when they come over here as the Premier League is more physical than other leagues.

"They seem like great lads and really talented players."

To watch six pre-season friendlies this summer, access exclusive interviews and training footage from Melwood, enjoy 100 Players Who Shook the Kop content and much more, sign up to LFC TV Online from £2.99.