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Iago Aspas. Photo: EPA

Iago Aspas marks Liverpool debut with super strike

Iago Aspas, signed from Celta Vigo for £7.7 million (HK$90 million), gave a glimpse of why Reds manager Brendan Rodgers was so keen to land him with a fine second-half strike against the League One side.

Liverpool's new Spanish striker Iago Aspas marked his debut with a goal in a 4-0 friendly win over Preston at Deepdale.

Aspas, signed from Celta Vigo for £7.7 million (HK$90 million), gave a glimpse of why Reds manager Brendan Rodgers was so keen to land him with a fine second-half strike against the League One side.

The 25-year-old curled home Liverpool's final goal as they eased their way back into action in their opening warm-up, a fixture organised in honour of Reds' legendary manager and former Lilywhites player Bill Shankly.

"Iago works hard, he's got a trick in and around the box and he excites supporters," said Rodgers. "He works very hard for the supporters."

While Liverpool got their pre-season tour off to a good start, it wasn't the same for Manchester City. New manager Manuel Pellegrini's first match in charge started with a 2-0 defeat to South African side Supersport in Pretoria.

The Chilean, 59, left Malaga to take over as Roberto Mancini's successor at the Etihad Stadium last month.

But second-half goals from Mame Niang and Kermit Erasmus ensured that Pellegrini, who fielded a different team in each half in Pretoria, began with a defeat at Loftus Versfeld.

Fellow English Premier League side Arsenal had no such problems when they thrashed an Indonesian Dream Team 7-0 in Jakarta that left manager Arsene Wenger beaming.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Aspas marks Liverpool debut with super strike
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