"We know about the past, but we think the future can be very good. For him and us," said the Liverpool boss.
"We knew about his problems, and have talked about them. But I think it will be a lot easier for him and us than people think. Craig is a more complete player than Djibril Cisse and he is perfect for the English game.
"We can go forward with him and these type of players can be important in difficult games when there is no space.
"He can beat defenders and score goals, a fine player with talents that we need.
"When a player has some problems in his past it is a risk, but from speaking to the player you can see he is more mature now. I think he knows that this move is important for him and he wants to be successful in a top side. This is the opportunity for him.
"If he starts scoring goals, people will not worry about his past. Many people tell me it is a very good sighing, for me it is easy. He will show people his desire and that he is a very good player on the pitch.
"He has the ability we need - pace, goals and running. For the English market it was a very good price and maybe he can be the difference for us next season."