The Reds manager was impressed with how his new defensive acquisitions fared on their debuts as his side destroyed the Bundesliga outfit on Sunday

Brendan Rodgers hailed Liverpool debutants Dejan Lovren and Javier Manquillo after watching his side dismantle Borussia Dortmund on Sunday.

Lovren and Manquillo contributed to a hugely impressive display at Anfield as the Reds rounded off their pre-season preparations with a comprehensive 4-0 win over the Bundesliga giants.

Croatia international Lovren – signed from Southampton in July – enjoyed a debut to remember by scoring Liverpool’s second goal with a towering 14th-minute header.

Manquillo, fresh from confirmation of his loan from Atletico Madrid, looked assured at right-back before being substituted to a standing ovation late on.

“Dejan was perfect – he’s what I’ve been looking for since Jamie Carragher left,” Rodgers beamed to the press afterwards.

“He’s a dominant centre-half who goes and attacks the ball and reads the game incredibly well. [We also saw] his quality with the pass. Both sides, left foot, right foot. As we found out last year [when Lovren scored the winner for Southampton at Anfield in September 2013], he’s dominant in both boxes with the way he attacks it.

“And young Javi Manquillo was outstanding. He’s the type of full-back I like – he gets tight to people, can stop crosses but also has the energy to go and attack and get forward. I thought he was very, very good.”

Lovren and Manquillo represent two of Rodgers’ seven signings of a busy close-season but, while the former Swansea City boss is satisfied with the strength of his squad, he is still eyeing more arrivals before the end of the transfer window.

“Hopefully there are another one or two to come in,” he added.

One player who has been linked with a move away from Anfield in the wake of Lovren’s arrival is Daniel Agger, who did not feature against Dortmund, but Rodgers denies that his vice-captain is set for the exit door.

He insisted: “I’ve read some stories but we’ve had no enquiries about Dan. He’s still getting work done on his knee – we haven’t had any offers.”

Brendan Rodgers’ side stormed to victory at Anfield, with their new signing amongst four different goalscorers on the afternoon

Dejan Lovren scored his first goal for Liverpool as the Reds romped to a 4-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund at Anfield on Sunday.

More to follow… 

The Northern Irishman came within a whisker of ending the club’s 25-year wait for league success last season and says the Reds will challenge again this term

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has promised the club’s fans that it is only a matter of time before the Premier League trophy ends up at Anfield.

The Reds suffered heartbreak last season, as defeat to Chelsea at home and a disastrous draw at Crystal Palace saw the trophy slip from their grasp and into the hands of Manchester City.

But the Merseyside outfit won 12 of their final 14 games and Rodgers believes his side have shown they have the mettle to cope with the pressure of a title run in and end their 25-year championship drought.

“There is no depression here; there hasn’t been a hangover,” the Northern Irishman told the Mirror.

“I wasn’t lying on a sun lounger on a beach over the summer crying and fretting over the fact that we lost the league.

“There is only an excitement and a belief inside the club that we can challenge again for the title this time.

“We proved last season that we can handle the pressure of a title run-in. I know people will point to the Chelsea and Crystal Palace games, but they should look, instead, at our last 14 games.

“Twelve wins, one draw, one defeat. That kind of form usually wins you the title. So, I know we can cope with the pressure. What we didn’t get was that wee bit of luck you need along the way.

“We just didn’t get the breaks when we needed them most, but I believe that we will be back up there, challenging, and Liverpool Football Club is a very exciting place to be at this current time.

“Last season was a great step forward and now we must believe that we can go one better.

“If it doesn’t happen this year, then it will happen soon. I really believe that because of what we’re building at the club.”

There was further agony for Rodgers at the beginning of the transfer window as star man Luis Suarez left the club for Barcelona. But new recruits, such as Adam Lallana, Emre Can and Lazar Markovic, have all been brought in to strengthen the sqaud that finished as runners up last season.

And the 41-year-old is aiming to build a side that will see the Reds – and himself – sticking around at the top table of English football for some time to come.

“I think the new signings have been good as they bring a freshness to the club,” Rodgers enthused.

“But, first and foremost, I never dwell on the negatives. It was a season when I gained enormous experience – and I loved every single second of it.

“I have wanted to be at the leading edge of the game all of my life and I was fortunate to be in there, challenging for the title, right until the very end.

“This is where I want to be. It’s where I want Liverpool to be and, hopefully, we will be back there again this time.

“I’m 41. Hopefully, I’ve got another 20-odd years left in the game and, ­hopefully, I will have success in that period.”