Aly Cissokho has defended Liverpool teammate Kolo Toure, describing him as a "big influence" at the club.

The defender was blamed for West Bromwich Albion's equaliser against the Reds earlier this month and scored an own goal during the 3-2 win over Fulham during the week.

The Frenchman told The Independent: "Kolo has been a big influence on me. He has marked my card on many occasions. For example, he told me what to expect when we went to play Stoke at the Britannia. He explained to me it would be windy, the ball would be in the air all the time and I'd be up against big, strong lads.

"There are a lot of youngsters in the squad and people like Kolo and Steven Gerrard are very important, especially in the middle of a match. They are a voice out on the park, telling us to slow things down or play a longer game.

"Simon Mignolet also speaks French and that's important for me because I've got Kolo alongside me and Mignolet in goal behind me. Sometimes, you do have to react quickly and then your first thoughts will be in French and it helps if you can shout it out to someone near you."

Toure joined Liverpool on a free transfer during the summer.