STEVE CLARKE reckons Liverpool and Craig Bellamy are a perfect fit – as they both insist on nothing but the best.

The Reds’ assistant manager has revealed he and first team coach Kevin Keen were able to offer boss Kenny Dalglish a reference for the Welsh forward before the club swooped for him on transfer deadline day.

Bellamy (below) started his second stint at Liverpool as a substitute in last Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Stoke City but was unable to help his team penetrate a stubborn home defence.

Clarke was pragmatic about their first defeat of the season and says Liverpool produced a good enough performance not to be overly concerned with the set-back.

And with Bellamy, a free capture from Manchester City, now in the ranks Clarke believes Liverpool have plenty of options when going on the attack.

“Craig gives us plenty of options in the forward areas of the pitch,” said Clarke.

“A lot has been said about Craig but his attitude on and off the training pitch is top. He demands high standards and we can have a good working relationship going forward.

“I knew Craig from before and so too did Kevin Keen so we had good background on him and so it was a no brainer (to sign him).

“I’ve been in football long enough to know these things (defeat to Stoke) can happen.

“You can dominate a game, create a lot of chances but not manage to get the goal and get some reward for the hard work which the players put in.

“It’s difficult for the players because they know how much hard work they have put in to the game and what they deserved out of it.

“But in the dressing room afterwards we had to put forward the positives, that we created enough chances to have won two games.”

And Clarke believes the manner in which the Liverpool players respond at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, will tell the management team more about their character for the campaign ahead.

“It’s a long season and we know we are going to have set backs but it’s how you react to those set backs.

“The mood in training has been fine and the players know the performance at Stoke was acceptable but it didn’t produce the required result.

“We just have to make sure we go to Tottenham and put in an acceptable performance but also get the required result.”