Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita has praised teammate Daniel Sturridge for helping him settle in at the club.

Guinean international Keita, whose deal to join the Reds was agreed last summer, arrived ahead of this season and played a full part in pre-season as Liverpool warmed up with nine fixtures.

Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, Keita revealed that he has spent a lot of time with Sturridge since joining his new teammates, adding that the Englishman has given him good advice ahead of the campaign.

"I have to say I've got a lot of respect for him," the midfielder said. "I've spent a lot of time with him in this last month and everybody has been very nice to me and very friendly, of course, but Daniel's obviously a player with great experience and he's a very good player as well.

"Like a lot of the lads, he's a good laugh, but he's also given me a lot of advice about the settling-in process and also in terms of motivation. He's a very positive and motivating player, so this month has been very good and I've spent a lot of time with him. He's a great guy.

"It's like with all players, you develop a good understanding on the pitch and I've certainly done that with Dan. It's the same with everybody, but I'm very happy when I get the opportunity to play together with Dan Sturridge."

Keita is expected to make his Premier League debut in Sunday's clash against West Ham United at Anfield.