Reds ready to rule the world

LIVERPOOL captain Steven Gerrard is determined to succeed where his legendary predecessors Phil Neal and Phil Thompson failed - by lifting the Club World Championship.

Doing so would turn the Reds from European conquerors into world champions, the accolade on offer at the revamped Toyota Cup in Japan this week.

The club’s history in the competition, traditionally a one-off showdown between the champions of Europe and South America, is chequered. Now Gerrard can set the record straight by guiding his side past the competition’s five other teams to the crown.

“We’re in Japan to win the tournament, it’s as simple as that,” he said. “The team is very excited to be here and we are looking forward to the games. Any trophy that Liverpool enter or are involved in, we want to win it. We’re not here for a holiday.

“Hopefully it will be a case of third time lucky for us and we can win it. I know we’ve had a couple of cracks at this before and we haven’t been successful, but we feel as though we’ve got the right team and the right attitude to win it,” he added.

It was a statement of intent echoed by chief executive Rick Parry, who dismissed suggestions the club was involved primarily to make money.

“This is a competitive trip, not a commercial trip,” he countered. “We are here to win trophies. We are strengthening links with our supporters but this is not a marketing trip to generate commercial revenues.”

If Liverpool are to succeed they will likely have to overcome Sao Paulo as well as jet-lag, with the South American champions demonstrating their commitment by arriving in Japan more than a week ago.

A nine-hour time difference, a 15-hour journey from Britain and a festive fixture list that has them playing four times in eight days upon their return, suggest Rafael Benitez’s men will be stretched if they are to succeed in Japan.

Gerrard admitted he was feeling the exertions: “We’re all a bit tired right now but we will be raring to go in the first game.

“There is a slight concern as we have played lot of games in a short space of time but it helps if you are winning games and playing well.

“That way you look forward to games rather than thinking they are a burden.”

Liverpool get to prove how seriously they are taking the competition when they face Costa Rica’s Deportivo Saprissa, who beat Sydney FC 1-0, in the semi-final in Yokohama on Thursday.