Alan Hansen Delighted With Dynamic Capture Miereles

Liverpool legend Alan Hansen has
praised Roy Hodgson ’s capture
of Raul Meireles suggesting his
former club have signed one of
the best box-to-box midfielders
in the world.
The Portuguese international
moved to the Premier League last
month, and although the former
FC Porto star, who had been
linked with both Chelsea and
Manchester United for the best
part of 18-months, will inevitably
take time to adjust to the rigours
of English football, Hansen
suggests the 27-year-old is a
similar player to his former
teammate Terry McDermott.
Hansen believes Meireles will add
both invention and industry to
Liverpool ’s midfield, and
suggests the creative influence of
the heavily tattooed playmaker is
exactly what Anfield have been
crying out for.
Hansen told the LFC Weekly:
“ They can't be compared directly,
but the closest thing we had to
Meireles when I was at Liverpool
would have been Terry
McDermott,
"Terry Mac was probably better
technically, but he was the same
type of energetic box-to-box
midfielder who would start the
build-up on the edge of our box
and 10 seconds later would be at
the other end of the pitch
putting the ball in the net.
"I'd be stood there thinking
'Christ, where has he come
from?'
"That's the sort of thing we've
been looking for - someone who
can go from being in a defensive
position to ghosting into the
other penalty area as a move
builds up - and I believe Meireles
can do that job.
"Meireles will add energy to the
midfield. He'll shake things up in
terms of movement in the centre
of the park and get from box to
box in a way that no other
Liverpool midfielder has done in
recent times with the exception
of Steven Gerrard.
"He is a dynamic player. One
minute he's in defence, the next
he's in the opposition's box and
maybe that's what we've been
lacking a bit of in the last four or
five years."
Prior to Liverpool securing their
£11.5 million man, Manchester
United and Chelsea had been
perpetually linked with the
Portugal talisman. Last summer
Sir Alex Ferguson was rumoured
to be monitoring the player,
while Chelsea have also
maintained a long-standing
interest in the talented
playmaker. When Meireles was
left out of Porto's Champions
League squad recently, the player
was widely reported in Portugal
as being close to joining
Manchester United, but no bid
from Sir Alex Ferguson was
forthcoming.