Konchesky makes LFC pledge

Paul Konchesky has promised to keep raising his game as he comes to terms with his new life living in a football mad city.

The Reds' left-back enjoyed his most effective performance for the club he joined on transfer deadline day during Sunday's 1-0 win over Bolton Wanderers and finally looked like he had come to terms with the standards that are expected of him at Anfield.

Konchesky, though, knows he still has room for improvement and is well aware there are any number of judges who will be on hand to remind him if his standards happen to slip.

While he was accustomed to living a quiet life in Essex during his time with Charlton, West Ham and Fulham, the goldfish bowl existence that footballers on Merseyside have to lead has taken some getting used to.

But that is not to say it is a bad thing; Konchesky, 29, has been bowled over by the passion Liverpool fans have shown him and, with that in mind, he is desperate to show he can continue playing a role in helping the club moved forward.

"I have seen a different side of things up here and I have had to raise my game - it's Liverpool and this is the biggest and best club I have been at in my career," said a man whose two England caps came against Australia in 2003 and Argentina in 2005.

"In London, you can just get on with things but with it being smaller here in terms of the city, it is a different scale. You go into the town centre and you are greeted by fanatical football people.

"You meet the supporters and they are right behind the club - it makes you all the more determined to do well for them. Even when results haven't been good, they still offer encouragement.

"It has taken me a little while to settle in and things were not helped by the fact I picked up a hamstring injury early on and the team had a few bad results straight away.

"But I know with the players around me I can get better and better and I'm now looking forward to helping in the rest of the season."

Meanwhile, Raul Meireles is determined to repay the goodwill he has been afforded by breaking his scoring duck in front of the Kop.

Meireles again showed some nice touches in the win at the Reebok Stadium but he is hoping a bigger impact awaits on home soil - maybe against Chelsea this Sunday.

"I would like to score my first goal for Liverpool and feel the joy of the fans," said Meireles, an £11.5m summer signing from FC Porto. "It is always a special feeling to score a goal and to do it for Liverpool, especially at Anfield, would be a fantastic moment. Hopefully that will come very soon."

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.