Former Liverpool manager Roy Evans has backed Mario Balotelli to prove himself a "real asset" on Merseyside.

The Italy international joined the Reds for a reported £16m from AC Milan last week, before making his debut in Sunday's 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur.

Balotelli missed a number of goalscoring opportunities to mark his bow in style, but Evans, who managed the club for four years, says that current boss Brendan Rodgers can get the best out of the eccentric striker.

"Mario Balotelli did his fair share against Tottenham and won't ever miss three chances like that again," he told the Liverpool Echo. "He is certainly going to be an asset for us and even though all the talk is going to be about his past, we have just got to let the lad get on with it.

"Brendan Rodgers did things with Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard is another who is good at talking to players. But the main person in all of this is Mario himself. He needs to make sure he keeps his nose clean.

"It is very easy for people to be on his back 24-7 but maybe we need to give him some leeway. He has got great talent and could be a real asset."

Rodgers's side go their separate ways for the international break before resuming domestic duties with the visit of Aston Villa on September 13.