Robbie Keane admits he is looking forward to the prospect of playing alongside Fernando Torres, whom he describes as "probably the best striker in the world right now", after completing his £20.3m move to Liverpool from Tottenham yesterday. Following the departure of Peter Crouch to Portsmouth earlier this summer, the Republic of Ireland captain is likely to form manager Rafael Benítez's first-choice strike partnership, with Keane playing just behind the Spaniard and linking up with the Liverpool midfield.

"I see myself as a second striker," Keane said. "I can play off the shoulder, link things up and play in the hole. You are always judged on scoring goals as a striker and I have always scored a lot of goals. Hopefully I can continue that here at Liverpool."

Keane, who has become Liverpool's second-most expensive signing after Torres moved to Anfield last summer for £26.5m, believes he could form a prolific partnership with Torres. "He has been a revelation since he came to the Premier League. He was absolutely outstanding last year and also in the Euros with Spain," Keane added. "It is hard to leave Tottenham with some of the players they had - like Dimitar Berbatov, who I had a great relationship with - but Torres is probably the best striker in the world right now. Hopefully we can play a lot of games together and do well. The last four years have been great for me and I believe I am at my peak. I am at a good age and if I didn't come to Liverpool now, maybe the opportunity wouldn't come again."

Keane, who is likely to make his debut in a friendly at Villarreal tomorrow, insisted that he had not let Spurs down. "I had six fantastic seasons there and gave them everything since day one," he said. "I always give everything, and that will never change. The Spurs fans were always magnificent to me and I will always have a place in my heart for them. But this is a new chapter in my life and one that I am looking forward to. I had six great years at Spurs and thank them for that."

Benítez has given Keane the No7 shirt vacated by Harry Kewell's transfer to Galatasaray and previously worn by Kenny Dalglish and Kevin Keegan. The new No7 said: "To wear that shirt is an honour, and something I truly understand. If I can have half as much success in it as Keegan and Dalglish did, I will be a happy man."

"We were talking about the number, and the big names that have had this number, so it will be inspirational for him to have it too," Benítez added. "We were looking for a player with game intelligence and good movement who could play alongside Torres. He can play with Torres up front and also on the right. He is a player who can give to us a lot of goals - normally he gets about 15 each year. We were looking for the work-rate he can give to us, the game intelligence and also the goals."

Keane was unveiled as a Liverpool player this morning, and Benítez will now turn his attention to the transfer market again, with Aston Villa's captain Gareth Barry still in his sights. Benítez is likely to have to sell before he can buy again, and Jermaine Pennant - linked with a £4m move to Blackburn - Andriy Voronin and Alvaro Arbeloa are likely candidates to move on. Arbeloa's place in the first team has been threatened by the arrival of right-back Philipp Degen, and the defender is understood to want a return to Spain for family reasons.

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