Brendan Rodgers says Christian Benteke has Liverpool future under Jurgen Klopp

Former Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is convinced that Christian Benteke has a future under Jurgen Klopp after claiming that the German boss tried to sign the striker from Aston Villa during his time at Borussia Dortmund. Rodgers believes that the Beligium international needs time to adapt to the German's demands, but should eventually be a success at Anfield.

Rodgers signed the 25 year old last summer for £32.5m ($46.5m) to address the lack of goals in his attack since the departure of Luis Suarez to Barcelona. But the Belgium international has been under scrutiny since almost the very first day at the club amid suggestions that his direct style doesn't fit in with the Merseysiders' philosophy.

Tim Sherwood himself warned the Belgium star against making the switch to Anfield in the summer after claiming there was "no point moving to a club where they don't cross the ball". The Belgium star has so far failed to prove the doubters wrong after having scored just seven goals in the opening part of the season.

The arrival of Klopp at Anfield has even increased such doubts as the German boss has left him out of his starting line-up of the last three Premier League games and both legs of the Capital One Cup semi-final against Stoke City – despite the fact that he is without Daniel Sturridge, Divock Origi and Danny Ings at present.

Klopp, however, assured earlier this week that Benteke has a future at Anfield, but he just needs to find the way to make a space for him in his plans.

Rodgers has now spoken in the same vein when asked about the issue during an interview with TalkSport.

"Yes, I think he will [have a future at Liverpool]. With Christian, I think Jurgen will take his time with him," the former boss said.

"In this country, now, everything is very short-termism, isn't it? People look at it like, you've got to come in, get 20 goals in your first season or you might be deemed a failure."

Benteke recently tried to dismiss suggestions over Klopp lack of trust in him after revealing the manager approached him when he was at Borussia.

Rodgers confirmed the approach: "I don't think Jurgen's looking at it as that. He tried to sign him for Dortmund. He knows he's a good player. He met the boy, he met the agent, he met them in Germany, so he knows he's a good player. Coming in to Liverpool, he'll know that he wants to use him. It's going to take Christian a bit of time."

Rodgers, meanwhile, hailed his decided to sign him in the summer to add goals to the squad after failed attempts to solve the issue with Mario Balotelli and Ricky Lambert during the last campaign. "I took him to Liverpool in the summer because we were really short on goals, and the one thing he does give you is goals, but obviously it's going to take him time to get up to the way the team wants to play and Jurgen wants to press."