Spot-on advice a reality check for Liverpool new boy BalotelliRodgers makes it clear from the off - there’s no special treatment, even for super Mario
It didn’t take Mario Balotelli long to realise that at Liverpool FC nobody receives special treatment.
The ink was still drying on the contract after completing his Ł16million move from AC Milan when the Italian made a polite if pointed enquiry.
“Mario asked who takes the penalties,” reveals Brendan Rodgers. “He is brilliant at penalties, and he knows it as well.
“But Steven Gerrard is our penalty taker.”
It was a gentle reminder of the striker’s place at his new club.
Balotelli may well have a fantastic record from the spot, but such seniority must be earned rather than instantly inherited.
That hasn’t always been the case for the controversial Italian, whose undoubted talent has too often been overshadowed by contentious behaviour both on and off the field.
Such antics have led to accusations of Balotelli being indulged at previous clubs, the most notable guilty party being Roberto Mancini, the man who gave him his debut at Inter Milan and who later brought him to Manchester City.
Ultimately, though, Mancini had his limits. And Rodgers, having previously warned of the dangers of pampering young footballers, has no intention of making Balotelli the ongoing centre of his attention.
“Young players are indulged, yes, but that’s not just with Mario,” says the Reds boss. “I’ve said this before. I see it with British players.
“The difference with Mario is he is a proven talent.
“I’m not going to criticise any club. I’ve not worked with Mario at Inter Milan, Manchester City or AC Milan. But you can give players too much (leeway).”
Rodgers adds: “Everything Mario does off the field gets monitored.
“A lot of what he does is kindness, I think. He does stupid things, yes.
“But for me, it’s just a case of making sure he is focused on his football and really makes sure this isn’t a circus around one player.
“This is a guy who I believe can help us. He is not the star of the team. It is about the team.”
Liverpool have already taken subtle steps to ensure the penny drops with Balotelli.
“Mario came in here and we were asked when the press conference was (for his signing),” says Rodgers. “We replied ‘what press conference?’
“He’s the same as every other player. We had no press conference for Adam Lallana or Lazar Markovic.
“It’s more a case of ‘get up the stairs, hold the shirt, get your photograph taken and get out’.
“He’s a good kid. But you can have young players feeling as though they are more than what they are and then the ego goes with it.
“Mario is a talented player. He is 24 years of age. But focus on the football and work your socks off.
“That’s what he has done this week. He has been working for 45 minutes extra doing extra training, specifics, practising free-kicks, even in the rain!”
Such work has put Balotelli in line to make his debut in today’s trip to top-four rivals Tottenham Hotspur, a match that has taken on extra importance following the Reds’ 3-1 reverse at champions Manchester City last Monday.
And Rodgers has long since been made aware of the Italian’s attributes.
“Mario has wonderful charisma on the field,” he says. “I remember when I brought Fabio Borini to Swansea. He said the best player he had played alongside was Balotelli. They were in and around the Italy under-21 squad together.
“Mario has beautiful feet and a lovely touch on the ball - skill, power, pace, has a real aerial threat, and once he picks the element of how to be in this team, then you have a player who is a genuine world-class talent.”
Given the off-field fireworks, it’s easy to forget that Baloteli - who only turned 24 earlier this month - has won three Italian titles, an Italian Cup, the Champions League, the Premier League and the FA Cup, as well as appearing in a European Championship final having scored two goals in the semi-final.
It’s a roll of honour few of his new team-mates can match.
“Mario has a winning mentality,” says Rodgers. “I recognise that whenever I speak to him.
“He came in at Man City and in his first season he won the FA Cup and in the second season he won the league.
“He is a winner. He has scored goals at the highest level for both club and country.
“When you see him working on the training field - and that has beenthe big thing this week - and you strip away all the background noise and all the stuff he is supposed to be and keep it simple, you see his qualities. They are clear.”
Not that Balotelli is the finished article. If there has been one continued shortcoming throughout his career it has been accusations of a lack of work-rate and fitting into the team ethic.
Rodgers, though, has already seen encouraging signs. “If you look at our team, with our intensity, pressure and press, that’s a big thing for us,” says the Northern Irishman.
“We had a few sessions on that this week, which was fun and interesting, but it highlighted what he needs to do.
“It also showed to me where other players were at before they came into here, and he is at the same stage they were at.
“Nobody ever associated Coutinho with pressing when he first came here, nor Sturridge or Sterling."
Rodgers adds: “What helped is that he played against us in pre-season in America and it was a big eye-opener for him.
“He actually said that AC Milan were almost acting like Liverpool’s reserve team, and talked about how he couldn’t get hold of Steven Gerrard playing in the deeper role. That’s how intense we are.
“Let us judge Mario over time. If we give him time, I’m sure he will be fine. You have to give the kid a chance.”
The same chance, as Rodgers would attest, as will be afforded every other player at Liverpool.
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