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Brendan Rodgers calls him “a monster” - and Liverpool new boy Mamadou Sakho has already proved he packs a punch.

Sakho, 23, broke one of the cardiovascular machines in the Reds' gym during his medical for the £15million switch from Paris Saint-Germain he made at the start of the month.

The 6ft 2in man-mountain of a centre-half, who made his debut in the draw at Swansea on Monday, said: “How do you know this? Yes, it’s true!

“It’s true that one of the machines did break. Something went wrong with it, so they had to fix it, not reinforce it.

“Strength is one of my attributes and I want to continue developing my strength as it is a key part of my game.

“I’m a defender and I need to use that, but I need to fill out more and bulk up to progress.”

Premier League opponents will not relish facing the French international.

Sakho has been a fighter since his childhood in the tough Paris suburb of Goutte d’Or, or ‘Little Africa’.

“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 or 15, I tried to impose myself on the other players at PSG, but it was soon made clear to me that I needed to focus and concentrate, that I needed to go to bed early and work hard. That’s what I’ve been doing ever since.

“I think I will be suited to the English style of play. I felt I had done it all with Paris and that it was time for me to turn a new page in my career.”