Comolli delight at Doni deal
Damien Comolli believes the arrival of Alexander Doni will assist in the development of Liverpool's young goalkeepers.
The Reds concluded the signing of the Brazilian from AS Roma on Friday and his acquisition will present an opportunity for the club's fledgling custodians to go out on loan and gain important senior experience, according to Comolli.
The club's Director of Football told Liverpoolfc.tv: "We are delighted to sign Doni. It's a position we felt we had to strengthen because it will allow our young goalkeepers to go on loan and get some experience at some point during the season, which is crucial in their development.
"We are getting a very experienced goalkeeper who is used to handling the pressure of big games and international matches with Brazil. He had a very good end of last season with Roma, so we are very pleased."
By putting pen to paper on his Liverpool contract, Doni became the fifth Brazilian to sign for the club.
Click on the play button below to watch Comolli on our new signing
Comolli has revealed how he sought something of a character reference from one of our current Samba stars, Lucas Leiva, as the Reds pressed ahead with the deal to sign the 31-year-old.
He said: "I spoke to Lucas about Doni and he was very complimentary about him as a person and as a goalkeeper, so I think it's a great deal for us.
"He is suited to English football. He is big and good in the air and his distribution is quick as well. When you play for Roma for years and years, the pressure at that club in that city is tremendous, so the fact he can handle that shows he can take anything."
Although Pepe Reina is already firmly established as Liverpool's No.1 goalkeeper, Comolli feels Doni will provide top-quality competition for a position between the sticks.
He said: "When you come here and know you will be a number two behind Pepe, what's important for us is the attitude and mentality off the pitch and in the changing room. He's got to be supportive of the number one but also be aggressive enough to push the number one on a daily basis, and I think Doni represents all that.
"When we approached him the first time, obviously he wanted to be a number one somewhere but he said Liverpool Football Club is such a big club that if we wanted him to come as a number two then he would come."
