The 27-year-old joined immediately after holding midfielder Javier Mascerano had left for Barcelona, but the former insists that he is not there to cover for the Argentine.

"I am Meireles and not Mascherano and that will be clear to the fans. I hope one day the Liverpool fans will remember me for being successful," he said.

Meireles joins summer recruits Milan Jovanovic, Joe Cole and Christian Poulsen.