Football star Mario Balotelli wants to cook up a storm for Liverpool

MADCAP Mario Balotelli hopes to give rival teams a grilling by signing up for cooking classes.

EVENING CLASS: Mario is pulling out all the stops to be a better cook

Liverpool's new £16million star, 24, admits he can barely rustle up an edible dish and relied on restaurant meals and takeaways when he was playing for Manchester City.

The pasta-loving Italian bad boy is to be taught by experts how to cook simple and healthy meals at home.

Balotelli is staying at Manchester's Lowry Hotel while he decides whether to rent a house in Cheshire or on Merseyside.

A hotel source said: "We know Mario from his City days. He would invariably go to his favourite Italian restaurant San Carlo or pick up some takeaway pasta. He was doing this almost every night.

"He's said this time round he wants to cook for himself much more but needs lessons and would like to go to evening classes when games allow.

"He already comes across as much more mature than when he was here last time."

Balotelli once crashed his sports car and blamed pals for causing a blaze at his rented £3million home in Cheshire in 2011 by letting off fireworks in the bathroom.