Gerrard ready for Valencia showdown

Steven Gerrard stands by for his ninth successive game this term as Liverpool prepare for their Champions League showdown with Spanish champions Valencia.

For the young midfielder to produce such a run would have been a near miracle last term, and boss Gerard Houllier realises how influential the 22-year-old has become.

Gerrard has played in all Liverpool’s games this term – including the Community Shield – and also figured for England in their friendly against Portugal.

Now, after a summer off and a groin operation to cure his long-standing injury problems, Gerrard looks the key to this opening Group A clash.

Houllier said: “The more he is injury free, the more he plays and the better he becomes.

“He made the right decision not to go to the World Cup and have the operation. He has improved since the start of the season and has built up from there. He’s vital to us and his appetite for success is faultless.

“But then I have a bunch of winners here, and he is part of that squad. Every European game has added experience to their careers.

“Top players are always winners. We have Stevie, Michael Owen, Jamie Carragher, Emile Heskey plus our foreigners.

“The experience they gained from last season in this tournament should make them bigger players this time around.”

Houllier has an embarrassment of riches with only Vladimir Smicer and Abel Xavier not here through injury and sickness, and promises to maintain Liverpool’s new attacking style.

And the starring roles Milan Baros, Bruno Cheyrou and Salif Diao played in the win at Bolton on Saturday have just underlined Houllier’s belief in this policy.

He said: “I rotated the players at the weekend – some people even used the word ‘axed’ which I find amusing – and brought in three of our new lads and they did very well.

“Some of our players, we knew after the World Cup, were tired and we had to manage their energy. Some needed a rest.”

For Carragher tonight’s game represents the chance to cross swords again with Valencia’s Argentina winger Kily Gonzalez.

Carragher said: “I remember playing against him five years ago when I was in the World Under-20 finals in Malaysia and we played Argentina.

“He was a good player then and I’m sure he’s just as good now. But then they are all good, a fine team. We have all seen them a lot on TV and know what to expect.”