Mario Balotelli shirt swap latest: Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers reveals he has spoken to striker about incident

Balotelli swapped shirts with Pepe at half-time before substitution

Mario Balotelli (left) trudges off at half-time last night, to be substituted during the interval (GETTY IMAGES)

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers revealed today that he has held a conversation with Mario Balotelli after he swapped shirts with Real Madrid defender Pepe before he was taken off at half-time in the 3-0 Champions League defeat last night.

The incident as the players walked the down the tunnel has drawn criticism from Reds' supporters and former players, with Graeme Souness even questioning whether the Italian striker had a "football brain".

"Any action I would take with Mario would be kept within ourselves," Rodgers said today. "Of course, we had a conversation on the culture of this club.

"There's been no reaction to Mario Balotelli's shirt swap from the rest of the squad and speculation is inevitable.

"You have to accept that criticism is part of the game, but the boy [Balotelli] is trying very, very hard. We’ll see how that turns out."

Watch: Balotelli swaps shirts with Pepe at half-time

The Reds are next in action against Hull City in the Premier League on Saturday.