Premiership: No second thoughts over Anelka - Thompson

Liverpool caretaker boss Phil Thompson revealed he did not have to think twice about bringing controversial striker Nicolas Anelka to the club.

Thompson said when manager Gerard Houllier, currently in France recuperating from major heart surgery, contacted him about bringing the former Arsenal hitman to Anfield on loan he was immediately in favour of the idea.

‘‘We spoke about it early last week. Gerard rang me and asked me what I thought and it took me about five seconds to think about it and I said it was a great idea,’’ Thompson said as Anelka and Czech striker Milan Baros were unveiled at Anfield today.

‘‘I think Nicolas is as excited as anyone. He is still sharp and excited as anyone to be joining Liverpool.’’

Anelka - who will wear the number nine shirt vacated by Robbie Fowler after his departure to Leeds said Houllier, with whom he has worked with when at France’s national academy, had greatly influenced his decision to make the switch from Paris St Germain.

‘‘Houllier persuaded me to come because he is French,’’ was Anelka’s plain assessment of the situation.

‘‘The club winning things last year was important in my decision and I have known Gerard for a very long time.

‘‘I decided I wanted to move from PSG and to come to Liverpool, who are a very good club.’’

The 22-year-old, speaking through an interpreter, said he was ready to be thrown into the action against Aston Villa on Boxing Day in spite of his relative lack of pitch time in France.

‘‘You cannot always be at the top but you have to be very strong mentally. I am ready to play, even if I have a lack of match fitness because I have not played a lot at PSG.’’

Thompson said both Anelka and Baros were in the squad for Boxing Day and could well feature.

‘‘Nicolas has trained today and his fitness level and sharpness look very good, although it is difficult to assess that after one training session,’’ added the assistant manager.

‘‘He will be in the squad and Milan will be in as well and we will pick the team in the next day or so.’’

Baros said joining the Anfield club helped him realise one of his dreams.

‘‘I have always been interested in English football and it was always an ambition to play here, and now I have achieved my ambition,’’ he said through an interpreter.

‘‘I feel very confident about playing for Liverpool. It is up to me now to prove that I can be a Liverpool player and achieve my best with Liverpool.’’

Thompson said he hoped signing two quality strikers would give the club an extra boost, especially after damaging consecutive defeats against Chelsea and Arsenal.

‘‘We are extremely pleased to acquire two top-class international strikers,’’ he added.

‘‘We have some top class strikers here but we felt we needed that little bit extra.

‘‘We had been tracking Milan for some time and when we had the opportunity to take Nicolas, who has played in the Premier League and knows what it is like to win title, it was too good an opportunity to pass up.’’

And Thompson hit back at critics who said the signing of the temperamental Anelka, whom they have an option to buy at he end of the season, was a risk.

‘‘It’s no gamble whatsoever. He has had a difficult time but on the playing side everyone has seen what he is capable of doing,’’ he said.

‘‘Gerard believes in Nicolas Anelka and everyone else should do.’’