This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

The Liverpool manager, Brendan Rodgers, believes Dejan Lovren will fill a leadership void at Anfield after the Croatia international centre-back completed a £20m move from Southampton.

Lovren is the third player to join Liverpool from the Saints this summer, following the signings of Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert, and his capture takes the club’s pre-season spending to approximately £80m.

The 25-year-old started all three of Croatia’s World Cup matches in Brazil and Rodgers believes Lovren will add something that has been missing at the heart of the Liverpool defence.

“I think he’s a really commanding centre-half,” said Rodgers, on the official club website. “I’ve said since we lost Jamie Carragher that we needed that leadership. He’s a player that gives us that.

“He’s very strong, very commanding, but he can play. I’ve been really impressed with him.

“I watched him at Lyon, he came into the Premier League with Southampton and I know their players thought he was a big driving force for them and kept them defensively solid.

“He had a really good World Cup. I think he’s a player that can still improve, still develop as he’s in his mid-20s. He’s someone I’m really looking forward to working with.”