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Liverpool FC new boy Mamadou Sakho showcased one of his best qualities before he had even stepped foot on to the Melwood turf.

The Reds knew they had secured the services of a powerful centre-back when they paid Paris Saint-Germain £15million on deadline day and his strength screening tests following the completion of the deal didn't disappoint.

Head physio Chris Morgan had to reinforce the equipment such was the might of Liverpool's Parisian powerhouse.

“This is true,” laughed Sakho. “One of the machines did break. Something went wrong with it so they had to fix it

“Strength is one of my attributes. It is something that you have to work on. I do want to continue developing my strength as it is as a key part of my game. I am a defender and I need to use that but I also need to fill out more and bulk up to progress.”

Sakho, who made his Reds debut in Monday's 2-2 draw with Swansea City, has settled in quickly to life on Merseyside.

The decision to leave his boyhood club wasn't taken lightly. The Paris-born defender of Senegalese descent had devoted more than a decade of his life to PSG and helped them clinch the French title last season.

Club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi described him as “a child of the club” earlier this summer and begged him to stay but Sakho rejected their offer of a new contract.

With Brazilians Thiago Silva and Alex for company, coupled with new boss Laurent Blanc's £30million purchase of fellow centre-back Marquinhos from Roma, the 23-year-old opted to seek a fresh challenge.

“Of course coming here was a big step for me,” said Sakho, who is set to make his home debut against Southampton tomorrow.

“I'd been with Paris Saint-Germain from the age of 12 but there comes a time in every player's life when you have to make some career choices.

“I had achieved everything I had wanted to do with Paris Saint-Germain. We had won the title, and I made the decision a while ago that I wanted to take on something else.

“I knew I wanted to experience a different culture and learn new things and when Liverpool came in for me I was easily convinced. I was happy to leave in the end.

“It's all going well for me here so far. I've settled in quickly. I left Paris to join an ambitious club and I'm very excited about the project here.”

Sakho's story began in the tough Goutte d'Or neighbourhood in the French capital. From a young age it was clear he was blessed with talent but by his own admission he was also a tearaway.

His bad behaviour led to PSG staff threatening to expel him from their Academy. After the death of his father when he was just 14 he considered quitting football but he returned to the club and knuckled down.

Sakho established himself as one of PSG's most exciting prospects and went on to make his first-team bow at the age of 17 in 2007.

“I grew up in an area of Paris that isn’t all sweet and nice,” he said.

“At that age, you have to put yourself about a bit and earn some respect. When I was 14 I tried to impose myself a bit on the other players around me, but it was soon made clear to me that I needed to focus and concentrate, go to bed early and work hard.

“It was a bit physical, a bit verbal. I was just a teenager. It was made clear that if I didn’t step back in line, I would be in trouble.

“When you are that age, your mum can say 'you have to be in bed by 10pm' but the man at the youth centre telling me? The response was what you would expect - 'you are not my dad, who are you to tell me?'

“But I soon learned that I had to focus. I had to conform and do the right thing. It was for my own good.

“The rebellious phase was a bit before the death of my father but I decided after that to take a step back and I concentrated on becoming a professional footballer. Life was pretty hard at that time but I took it on as an obligation to myself to become a pro and all that comes with it.

“I wanted to provide for my family and, at the same time, indulge my passion for football.”

Sakho made more than 200 appearances for PSG over six years and was the youngest captain in the club's history.

However, the influx of new signings following the takeover by Qatar Sports Investments two years ago began to limit his opportunities. That huge investment in the squad continued this summer with PSG spending 100 million euros.

“There is a big project underway there and that reflects their ambition, but my situation was based more on my desire to genuinely compete and that is something I know I will have at Liverpool,” he said.

“It was an impulse to leave Paris Saint-Germain. There are so many new players coming into the club but they didn't push me out. It was all about me wanting to go out and compete.

“They are two different styles, the influx of big money or building player-by-player to fill out the squad.

“The Paris model was very business minded in that sense. But I have come here to a club that functions with a family mentality. That is what suits me and I feel already that we have everybody in this family group and we are all heading towards the same goal.”

Sakho would have been richer penning a new deal at PSG or staying put and seeing out the final year of his contract before leaving on a free transfer. However, the 6ft 2ins defender grabbed the chance to help spearhead Liverpool's push for a Champions League spot this season.

He is the most expensive centre-back in the club’s history but insists that £15million fee won't weigh heavily on his broad shoulders.

“For me the price they paid is of no significance,” he said.

“Personally I am not bothered by it. I have been brought here to fill a need of the club. The most important thing is to come here and wear the shirt with pride and to take the club as high as possible.

“I came here for the football, not the money. I had a year left on my contract and in four months I could have signed for someone on a Bosman. I put football and the chance to move here above personal gain.

“There are a lot of very good players at Liverpool and the club has shown great ambition for this season. They have big ambitions for the Premier League and obviously the clear objective of qualifying for the Champions League.

“That appealed to me as did the chance to move to another country and to another culture. I think I will be suited to the English style of play too.

“For me, the Premier League is the best competition in the world. It demands a great deal of rigour and concentration from all players and that can only help me develop as a person and as a player.

“I felt I had done it all with Paris and that it was time for me to turn the page. This is a new page in the history of Liverpool and for me – I want to make my mark on that page.”

Sakho never considered Carragher's vacant 23 shirt

Mamadou Sakho maybe viewed as a long-term replacement for Jamie Carragher at Anfield but the France international says he never considered asking for the vacant No 23 shirt.

The £15million centre-back, who opted for No 17 “just because it was free”, played alongside the Kop legend in a charity match last year.

“It was a good game and it was a pleasure for me to meet such a notable figure in Liverpool's history,” Sakho said.

“I never had any intention of taking on his number. You have to respect the established players and also the ex-players.

“I know Jamie Carragher wore 23 and I have great respect for him and for his shirt. He has been a pillar at this club for so many years.”