体坛英语资讯：Former Liverpool FC legend praises Africas football

Former Liverpool FC legend Ian Rush has commended Africa's contribution to global football by providing world-class players to some of the top clubs in the world.

Speaking in Nairobi on Tuesday during the launch of an academy, Rush also singled out Ghana's national team's performance for praise at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa saying African football has come of age.

"African teams performed below expectations because more was expected from them especially that the event was happening on home soil," said the former Welsh national team striker who scored 28 goals in 73 games for his country.

Rush, who is in Nairobi for the launch of Liverpool FC Children' s Football Clinic ,said the 2010 Africa Cup of Nation in Angola in January might have had a toll on African teams, of which six also participated in the World Cup.

Rush is on a three-day visit to Kenya where he is leading a team of seven Liverpool Football Club Youth Academy coaches for a series of football clinics.

The Kenya youth football is the first lot to enjoy the benefits of the recently signed 80 million dollar sponsorship deal between the English Premier League club and Standard Chartered Bank.

The intense two-day coaching clinic involving 200 children under the age of 16 seeks to promote awareness and understanding of the bank' s sponsorship of Liverpool FC through the engagement of the local community, the bank' s customers and staff.

"When training or playing, always put on a smile on your face," he told the youngsters at the start of the programme.

About his former club, Rush said he anticipates Liverpool FC to perform better this season with the signings of Milan Jovanovic, Joe Cole, Danny Wilson and Juventus midfielder Christian Poulsen.

"Roy Hodgson is a good manager and I expect him to fix the shortcomings the club experienced last season. The new players will most certainly tip the scale in favour of Liverpool."

Rush, who scored 346 goals in 666 appearances, said he does not look forward to a managerial job at Liverpool FC saying he enjoys his work as a football commentator.