The heat is on Carroll to prove his worth: Mig

Mar 20 2011 by James Hunter, Sunday Sun

SIMON MIGNOLET insists the pressure is on ex-Newcastle hitman Andy Carroll to live up to his £35m price tag.

Carroll has recovered from a thigh problem and is expected to make his first Premier League start for Liverpool this afternoon against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, almost two months after his British record move to Merseyside.

The 22-year-old scored 11 goals for the Magpies, but has yet to get off the mark in his three outings for the Reds, two of which have been in the Europa League.

While mindful of the defensive headache Carroll posed in Sunderland’s 5-1 Tyne-Wear derby defeat in October, Belgian stopper Mignolet is determined to make sure the England man has to wait for his first Liverpool goal.

“I have never had a £35m move, so I don’t know for sure,” said Mignolet.

“However, there will be pressure on him, that is only logical.

“He is going from being the star player at Newcastle to just one of a lot of big names at Liverpool and he needs to prove he is capable of playing there, but I think he will do that.

“He is a good striker and his big strength is his aerial ability, but we have to cope with that.

“He is a handful and he was a big threat for Newcastle before he moved on.

“If, though, we play and defend the way we did when we kept a clean sheet at Arsenal two weeks ago I don’t think we have anything to fear.

“If we are at our best, we can win today.”

Mignolet has been an instant hit in his first season in the Premier League following his move from Belgium last summer.

A pre-season injury to first-choice Craig Gordon meant Mignolet was plunged in at the deep end and the £2m summer signing from St Truiden was an instant hit.

Gordon reclaimed his place in November but a knee injury last month let Mignolet back in.

The 22-year-old has kept seven of Sunderland’s 12 clean sheets this season and has vowed to give Gordon a run for his money in the battle to be Sunderland’s number one next season.