Rafa Benitez believes new signing Sotirios Kyrgiakos can offer Liverpool 'something different' - in both defence and attack.
The Greek international put pen to paper on a two-year deal with the option of a further year on Friday.
Benitez admits he is delighted to have landed his man and feels the centre-back can become a genuine threat at set pieces for his new team.
"Since Sami left the club, we have been looking for a player with quality and Sotirios is the kind of player we were looking for," the boss told his weekly press conference at Melwood.
"Our fans have knowledge of international football and he has played in Scotland, Germany and Greece, so I think everyone will know he is a strong, aggressive player who is good in the air.
"He will be a physical presence in both penalty areas, which is good for us because he is exactly the kind of player we were looking for. He can give us something different."
Liverpool are back in action on Monday when they take on Aston Villa at Anfield, and Benitez confirmed the Reds will make a decision on the fitness of Martin Skrtel on the day of the game.
The Slovakian defender is still recovering after colliding with Jamie Carragher against Tottenham Hotspur recently.
With Skrtel forced to sit out the midweek victory over Stoke City at Anfield, youngster Daniel Ayala was given his first competitive start at the heart of the Liverpool defence - and Benitez was pleased with the performance of the 18-year-old.
"I think he grew during the game and improved," he said. "He was a little bit nervous at the beginning, but little by little he got much better and was winning balls in the air.
"It is not easy for a young player to play in an official game at Anfield, so I am really pleased for him. To play alongside Carra was good for him too."
Ayala helped Liverpool keep a clean sheet against the Potters as goals from Fernando Torres, Glen Johnson, Dirk Kuyt and David Ngog secured a comprehensive 4-0 victory.
While happy with the manner of his side's performance, Benitez is confident there is more to come from his charges.
He said: "I think the players wanted to prove they are good enough and it was a good game, but could have been better.
"To score four goals at home and keep a clean sheet is always fantastic, but in terms of the play I think there is plenty of room for improvement, which is positive for me."
Villa are the Reds' next opponents and arrive at Anfield having lost their opening two matches of the season against Wigan Athletic and Rapid Vienna - but Benitez warned the Midlanders will still pose a stern test to his team.
"Villa have very good players who have ability and pace, and they are physically and aerially strong, so it will be a tough game as always in the Premier League," he stated.
The gaffer also reserved words of praise for Dirk Kuyt, who could make his 150th Liverpool appearance if he figures against the Villans.
"It's a fantastic achievement for Dirk," said Benitez. "This is a massive club, so to play that number of games here means we are talking about a good player.
"Everybody knows about his work rate and his quality. He played really well for Holland against England recently, so everybody can see he is not just a worker.
"He is a very good player and teammate with a good mentality and I am pleased for him."
Meanwhile, Benitez revealed the Ashes fever currently gripping the nation has not extended as far as the manager's office at Melwood.
He joked: "I was told some time ago that you can tell your wife you are going to watch a cricket game and come back 15 days later!
"With this game [the Ashes], maybe I will ask for the tape and spend a week analysing it.
"I watched a little bit of it yesterday. It is interesting and if you spend time analysing it, it can be good for the brain."
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