New Liverpool signing Aly Cissokho has claimed that the club deserves Champions League football.

The 25-year-old French defender joined the Reds on a season-long loan deal from Valencia on Tuesday.

"The Champions League is a competition that you dream of taking part in," Cissokho told Liverpool's official website.

"I think that a club like Liverpool richly deserves to be involved in it because of the quality of its players and the atmosphere and quality of its stadium.

"Champions League nights at Liverpool are the kind of games that are really special for the players in any away team coming to Anfield, and that's why Liverpool very much deserve to be a part of that competition."

The Merseysiders continue their Premier League campaign on Saturday when they travel to Aston Villa.