Roy Hodgson has called for Alberto Aquilani to show the quality that he possess this season by working hard to establish himself in the team, and out of the Liverpool Hospitality lounge!

Former Reds boss Rafa Benitez shelled out £17million for the Italian playmaker last summer as a replacement for Xabi Alonso, who moved to Real Madrid.

Aquilani, however, failed to recover from a serious injury all season, with Benitez lacking faith in the player's fitness and often leaving him on the bench.

The appointment of Hodgson, however, has seen a new opportunity for the 26-year-old to make an impression and show his fitness, and the new Reds boss admits he has been impressed with what he has seen so far.

"We have done a lot of tactical work with our fitness people but we've only really scratched the surface," said Hodgson.

"Alberto Aquilani has come out of it very well, as has Lucas, who is the only player who can really say he is a Liverpool first-team regular.

"But Alberto has got to use this pre-season to put all his fitness problems behind him. What I have seen in the last three weeks working with him has been encouraging and he's working well."

Alberto Aquilani is nearing fitness according to Liverpool's head of sports medicine and sports science, Peter Brukner. The Italian moved to Anfield last summer from Roma just after he had undergone ankle surgery, and subsequently struggled to make much of an impression on the Premier League.

"Alberto Aquilani's ankle, which was a problem last year, is now 100 per cent healed," Brukner told LFC Weekly.

"He has been training and has looked very sharp. He'll have to keep working on his injury prevention programme and if he does, I'm sure the supporters will see the best of him because last season was very frustrating for him injury-wise."

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Alberto Aquilani's agent believes only a huge bid would tempt Liverpool to sell the midfielder.

Franco Zavaglia has reiterated the creative Italian has no desire to return to his native land this summer despite ongoing speculation the Reds are prepared to offload the player they paid £20million for last year.

The latest rumour has suggested Juventus are back in the hunt the 25-year-old after naming Luigi Del Neri as their new manager and the Turin giants are said to be prepared to offer Brazilian midfielder Felipe Melo as part of a swap deal.

But Zavaglia has dismissed his client's latest link with a Serie A comeback and expects the former Roma man to be plying his trade at Anfield next season.

He told Tuttomercatoweb: "For now Alberto was not required and I think it is not easy to bring him to Juventus.

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Alberto Aquilani will not be leaving Liverpool Football Club in the summer, insists his agent.

The Italian international was signed last summer for £20million, but the former Roma man has struggled to make an impression due to a problematic ankle injury.

There have been suggestions Aquilani could be heading back to Italy next season, with Juventus said to be interested, but his agent has quashed such speculation.

“Alberto has a five-year deal there (Liverpool). How can people say that he will be sold?” Franco Zavaglia told tuttomercatoweb.It.

Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt has expressed his satisfaction with the debut performance by the club's summer signing Alberto Aquilani during the League Cup tie against Arsenal.

The Italian had undergone surgery and spent an extended period on the sidelines and appeared on his Liverpool debut as a substitute for the Reds' reserves, before going on to make his debut, again as a substitute, but in the League Cup game against the Gunners.

The Reds lost 2-1 to the north London club on Wednesday, but their stand-in captain Kuyt hailed the ex-Roma player for making a positive impact on the game.

"We have known Albert for a while and I’m very happy for him that he has made his debut," Kuyt told the Liverpool Echo.

"Hopefully we will see a lot more from him now. He’s a nice lad on and off the pitch and it’s good for him and us that he has finally played."

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez will have to wait to see his latest recruit Alberto Aquilani in action, as the Italian international is continuing his recuperation from surgery he had in May.

Aquilani joined from Roma this week for a fee believed to be in the region of £20m. The 25-year-old passed a medical and signed a 5-year deal with the Reds and is believed to be earning around £80,000-a-week, but the midfielder will have to spend a considerable amount of time with the physio before he can don the famous Liverpool shirt.

Recovering from his ankle surgery, Aquilani is said to be out "four to eight weeks," leaving Benitez to rely on the likes of Javier Mascherano and Lucas Leiva to deputise in midfield.

Aquilani has an infamous reputation for injuries, and at Roma he was cruelly labelled by fans as 'Swarovski' due to his constant physical problems. In the last three seasons Aquilani has made just 13, 21 and 14 league appearances respectively due mainly to injuries.

Despite threatening clouds hovering over a spot in Liverpool's starting XI for Lucas Leiva, the midfielder had nothing but praise when quizzed about new arrival Alberto Aquilani.

"I've watched some games he's played, and I especially remember him [when Roma played] against Real Madrid in the Champions League [in 2007-08]," the 22-year-old told the club's official website.

"He did really well and I think he can be a really good player for us.

"He is injured now but we're waiting for him to come back. We need the whole squad because we play a lot of games."

The Red claimed that he has put the past behind him, and instead cast a curious eye on the season that lies ahead.

"When you don't have confidence, you can't do anything - that's not just in football, it's in life," he began.

"Now I feel better, I've forgotten the last [two] seasons and I'm focused on being one of the 11 starters.

Rafa Benitez insisted last night that Liverpool have not taken a gamble on new signing Alberto Aquilani, despite his chequered injury record.

And the Anfield boss instead suggested that he has pulled off something of a coup in the transfer market, given the severe financial constraints he has been forced to operate under this summer.

Benitez was promised money to spend to take his side to the next level ahead of the upcoming Premier League campaign.

But the club's American owners have forced their manager to operate at a profit this summer, by raising more funds in sales than the money he has splashed out on purchases.

That means he sold Xabi Alonso for in excess of £30million, and replaced him with a man who cost only £15m.

And the Reds boss argued last night that the fee for Aquilani is only so low because he got money off as the player was carrying a severe ankle injury.

"If Aquilani was in a normal market he could cost £25-30m but because of the operation he has on his ankle he was a bit cheaper," Benitez explained "We have to wait for a month for him to be fit, but he is a player we are signing for five years not for five matches.

"He had a bad tackle and an operation and that's normal he missed matches. It would be the same with Torres or Gerrard. That is why I don't think his signing is a gamble.

"I was talking with a lot of people in Italy and people are saying it is a fantastic signing."

Aquiliani played just 14 matches last season for Roma because of the ankle injury, and was restricted to 21 appearances the season before because of an ongoing thigh problem.

But Benitez believes the injuries are not symptomatic of a player who can't withstand the rigours of the professional game, and instead argued that he has the quality to become a big star at Anfield.

He believes that the loss of Xabi Alonso was inevitable, and that Liverpool fans should see the signing of the Italian as a step forward, not back.

"We couldn't change the situation of Alonso," Benitez explained. "He decided to go, we had to progress. You have to manage in the best way you can.

"Alberto is now under the control of our medical staff because he had been going to different people. I think it will be easier better and he has the quality to settle down in England."