• Premier League

Balotelli scoring spree just around corner, says Henderson

Jordan Henderson said controversial team-mate Mario Balotelli gets on well with everyone at Liverpool © Getty Images

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Jordan Henderson believes Mario Balotelli will go on a scoring spree when he finally nets his first Premier League goal for Liverpool.

Balotelli, who was a £16 million signing from AC Milan in August, is yet to strike in nine top-flight games for Liverpool and has not scored in the league since 2012.

But vice-captain Henderson praised his team-mate - who he described as nice, polite and respectful - for his work rate and feels he will get his reward.

"Everyone knows Mario has got big quality," Henderson told ESPN. "He has played with some top teams, he is still young as well, he is still learning, he is still progressing as a player but he is working well on the training field and working hard in games

"The goals haven't really come for him as yet but I'm sure if he keeps working, once one or two go in, they will start flowing in. Every top striker goes through a period where they can't seem to find the back of the net."

Henderson feels Balotelli has been right to ignore outsiders' comparisons with Luis Suarez, who was Liverpool's prolific top scorer last season.

"Mario gets a lot of criticism because possibly people might be comparing him to Luis but he has got to forget about that and focus on what he is good at and what he needs to do for the team," he added.

"I think he has been very good in that sense, he hasn't listened to what people have said about him, he is just focusing on how he can help the team."

Henderson also insists Balotelli's image as an eccentric is ill-founded, explaining: "He is a very nice lad, he gets on with everybody. He is quite quiet, I think everything you see in the newspapers is a little bit over the top.

"He is not really like that in training. As a person he comes across very well and whenever I speak to him, he is very polite and has respect for his team-mates."

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