Former Liverpool striker Ian Rush has admitted that he is pleased for Mario Balotelli after the Italian scored his first Premier League goal for the club against Tottenham Hotspur.

Balotelli found the net with just seven minutes remaining at Anfield last night to give the Reds a vital 3-2 victory.

The 24-year-old has struggled for form since joining the club from AC Milan in the summer, but Rush believes that he can now go on a goalscoring run.

"He's been patient, Brendan [Rodgers] has played him at the right times so I'm pleased for him to get the winner," the Welshman told Sky Sports News.

"The crowd have always been behind him so I think we need just need to get behind him. Even after he scored the goal he was running around and closing down and he seemed to have an extra spring in his step. Hopefully that's the start of many more to come from him."

Liverpool are back in action on Saturday when they travel to Crystal Palace in the fifth round of the FA Cup.