Brendan Rodgers’ new recruit enjoyed his first taste of the world’s biggest club competition at Bayer Leverkusen but admits he cannot wait to experience a European night at Anfield

New Liverpool signing Emre Can has tipped the club to shine in the Uefa Champions League this season.

The five-time winners have not featured in the tournament since the 2009-10 season, when they fell at the group stage.

Since then, Liverpool’s continental involvement has been restricted to three runs to the knockout rounds of the Europa League, but a second-placed finish in the Premier League last term earned them a return to the biggest competition in club football.

And Can, who made seven appearances in the competition for Bayer Leverkusen last season, says confidence is high among his team-mates ahead of their European adventure.

“I am really confident about us going into the Champions League this season,” the midfielder told the Liverpool Echo.

“The whole team, the whole club and the city is looking forward to getting back in the Champions League because Liverpool haven’t played there for a few years.

“I had the pleasure of playing in the Champions League last year with my old club and it’s a special thing to play in the Champions League.”

Can arrived on Merseyside from Leverkusen in June and is one of six new arrivals at Anfield this summer.

The goalkeeper says he remains ambitious and wants to secure more trophies with his domestic side next term, while welcoming the arrival of Pepe Reina

Germany’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has admitted he is “hungry and ambitious” to keep on winning titles with Bayern Munich next season.

Neuer was awarded the Golden Glove prize after Germany lifted the World Cup with a 1-0 victory over Argentina in Brazil earlier this summer.

The Bayern Munich number one kept a clean sheet in the final at the Maracana and impressed in between the posts for Germany during the tournament.

With the 2014/15 Bundesliga starting on August 23, Neuer has revealed the thirst for more success has already kicked in.

“I am happy to be back. I am looking forward to the new challenges with Bayern and with the national team and the qualification for the European Championship,” Neuer told DFB-TV.

“After a year in which we have won two titles with Bayern and became the World Cup Winners, I will stay hungry and ambitious.”

When asked about winning the World Cup, he said: “It’s a great feeling. The memories from Brazil come back from time to time. You are happy to live through those things and you are very proud.

“You need some time to sit back let these things sink in. You are a World Cup Winner for life.”

Bayern have added to their goalkeeping ranks this summer after the club completed the signing of Liverpool number one Pepe Reina on a three-year deal on Friday.

Reina is likely to act as a back-up keeper to Neuer, but, the Germany international has welcomed the Spaniard’s arrival at the club.

“Everybody knows Pepe Reina. He is an experienced goalie who has performed well.

“I am looking forward to it, I want to get to know him and I am looking forward to work with him.”

The Spain international, who spent the 2013-14 campaign on loan to Napoli, will battle with Manuel Neuer for a place in the Bavarians’ starting XI

Bayern Munich have completed the signing of goalkeeper Pepe Reina on a three-year deal from Liverpool.

The 31-year-old passed a medical with the Bundesliga champions on Thursday and has now finalised his switch to the Allianz Arena.

Reina will likely become the back-up to Germany international Manuel Neuer as Pep Guardiola’s men aim to retain the German top-flight crown and regain the Champions League following defeat to Real Madrid in the semi-finals last season.

The transfer ends Reina’s nine-year association with Liverpool, with whom he won the FA Cup, League Cup and Uefa Super Cup.

Reina made 394 appearances for the Merseyside club, but was loaned out to Napoli last season after Liverpool signed Belgium international Simon Mignolet from Sunderland.

That move saw Reina reunited with the coach who signed him for Liverpool in Rafael Benitez and the pair again enjoyed success together as Napoli won the Coppa Italia and finished third in Serie A.

He will now link up with another old colleague in Guardiola, who he played with during his spell at Barcelona.

Reina becomes Bayern’s fourth acquisition of the close-season, following Robert Lewandowski, Sebastian Rode and Juan Bernat to the club.

Bayern start the new campaign against Borussia Dortmund in the DFL Supercup on August 13, before beginning their title defence by welcoming Wolfsburg to Bavaria in two weeks’ time.