[lfc-news] Reina: Dudek rivalry will be good for club - Post

Liverpool Daily Post, 12 July 2005
Dudek rivalry will be good for club - Reina
By David Prior, Daily Post Staff

JOSE REINA insisted his new rivalry with Jerzy Dudek would only benefit
Liverpool as manager Rafael Benitez hinted he would start the season
with the Spanish international.

The 22-year-old, who wants to be known as Pepe, was officially unveiled
yesterday to finally complete his £6million transfer from La Liga side
Villareal.

His arrival casts further doubt over the future of Dudek, however, whose
heroics helped to win the Champions League final in Istanbul but who may
now feel his future is best served elsewhere.

Benitez appeared to suggest yesterday that Reina would be handed the
gloves first - starting with tomorrow's Champions League opener against
TNS - with Polish international Dudek in reserve.

He said: "Jerzy is a good professional and he knows that he needs to
work harder to keep his place.

"He is a nice person and a good goalkeeper and now he knows that he
needs to work harder because the manager has signed a new goalkeeper.

"You never know in football - if you have a problem you need to be fit
and if you decide to use Jerzy he needs to be fit."

Reina is described by Benitez as "the best goalkeeper in Spain, and now
England", but dismissed claims his arrival had sounded the death knell
for Dudek's four-year stint at Anfield.

"I don't think for one minute that it'll be his last game for the club,"
said the former Barcelona number one.

"The important thing is there's a rivalry between myself, Jerzy and
Scott (Carson) as well. We all want to play, there's nothing strange
there, and it benefits the whole squad.

"It's normal in any side - if you ask any member of the squad they all
want to play, and it's no different here. All we've got to do as
individuals is try and make it very very difficult for the manager to
leave us out."

He added: "I hope that the fans here accept me. It has taken a long
time, it seems, for me to complete the move, maybe three months of talking.

"And all the while I knew how well Jerzy Dudek had done in the Champions
League.

"But my main concern now is to settle here quickly and to learn.

"For me it was the history of the club and the fact that very few
players get the chance to join the European champions, that made up my
mind to move to Anfield."

Liverpool expect to field a strong side against TNS and only Harry
Kewell, Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Neil Mellor - all recovering from
operations - are not available, although Antonio Nunez won't be
considered as he attempts to engineer a move back to Spain.

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