Robbie Keane missed the best chance of the night on his Liverpool debut, just 24 hours after his £20million move to Anfield. Keane played the first half of the friendly in Castellon, Spain, where his appearance was upstaged by the heroes' reception for the members of the Euro 2008 winners. In the end Liverpool maintained their unbeaten record in pre-season matches, aware that their chances of adding Gareth Barry to their ranks seem to be dead. Aston Villa's decision to end the negotiations over Barry earlier in the day was met with a strict 'no comment' from Liverpool but still dominated the pre-match discussions. Whether that is the end of the matter only time will tell. The game was held up for several minutes as seven of Spain's victorious Euro 2008 side received ovations and presentations. Four of those players were from Liverpool, Jose Reina, Alvaro Arbeloa, Xabi Alonso and Fernando Torres. Villarreal had Marcos Senna, Santi Cazorla and Joan Capdevila. All seven were amusingly given small yellow submarine toys to mark the occasion, due to Villarreal's nickname. Keane made his debut up front alongside another new boy, French teenager David Ngog, and both could have got their names on the scoresheet in the first period. First, Keane was set up by fine work from Steven Gerrard - back following injury - and Yossi Benayoun. The new £20million man beat two players but lifted his shot over the bar. Ngog, signed from Paris Saint Germain, saw a side-footed effort saved by Diego Lopez after Benayoun's pass. Lopez had saved well from a Gerrard curler, but Villarreal had their moments. The Spanish league runners-up forced Diego Cavalieri into good saves from Cani, ex-Arsenal man Robert Pires and Angel before Ariel Ibagaza hit a post with Joseba Llorente's follow-up deflected over by Stephen Darby. Liverpool made nine changes at the break, including two teenagers on up front, the excellent Spanish youngster Daniel Pacheco and Hungarian striker Krisztian Nemeth, the reserves' top scorer last term. Keane and Gerrard were among those taken off, leaving Benitez with a very youthful side including Jay Spearing and Emiliano Insua against Villarreal's experience. Liverpool were under a lot more pressure in the second period, but Pacheco should have scored when put clear, only to drag his shot wide. Then Nemeth fired over from 20-yards. With 20 minutes left Torres, Arbeloa and Alonso finally appeared - to a massive ovation from the home support. Then with 10 minutes left, former Villarreal goalkeeper Reina came on for a cameo appearance, having rushed to the Madrigal stadium after being at the birth of his second child. He too was given the hero treatment, the game now little more than an exhibition. Benitez evaded questions over the Barry saga. Benitez, though, insisted on his 'party line' response to questions about Barry, saying, 'I would prefer to concentrate on the game and my squad'. He added: 'I was really pleased with the situation on the pitch tonight. Robbie Keane did well, he had every chance to score but could not manage a goal.' And when questioned again on the Barry subject, he said: 'I think we have quality in the squad and I would prefer to concentrate on the game.' Benitez added: 'I feel the quality is improving, it is better than last season, and this match has been of benefit to the squad and for me to see several young players in action.'
Robbie Keane has spoken of his determination to fire Liverpool to a first league championship since 1990. Click here to watch all eleven minutes of Robbie's press conference>>
Click here to watch exclusive interviews with both Robbie and Rafa>>
The new number seven is desperate to turn his solitary club medal – collected when Spurs beat Chelsea in the League Cup final last term - into a glittering collection here at Liverpool.
Asked at his unveiling this morning if he thought a title-winner's medal was realistic, Keane replied: "I certainly do think we can challenge Manchester United and Chelsea.
"If you look at the squad of players that were already here, along with the addition of a few more, then there is no reason we shouldn't be challenging for the Premier League and other trophies.
"Liverpool is a massive, massive club and people expect this of us. The fans expect it.
"I have come here to win things."
The lifelong Red was just nine years old last time the club won the league back at a time when he slept under Liverpool bedsheets and walked around in his club tracksuit.
Keane added: "I was a little bit too young to fully remember the last title. Hopefully I can contribute to changing that as part of this team. Obviously that would be great for the people of Liverpool.
"My whole family are Liverpool fans. I remember every Christmas asking for jerseys and tracksuits – it's great now that I get the tracksuits for free!"
Meanwhile, reporters quizzed the new boy on how he would deal with squad rotation.
Keane responded: "If you want to be the best, you have to have a big squad. In the last few seasons my managers have done it – Juande Ramos and Martin Jol. I still had some great seasons there.
"It is up to the manager what he wants to do but I am here for the team – not Robbie Keane." Excerpt from http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N160691080729-1016.htm
No two men have done more for Liverpool Football Club than Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley but which of them can lay claim to being our greatest ever manager? On The Great Debate on LFC TV, you can decide.
At 9pm on Thursday, July 31, LFC TV will be hosting only the second ever Great Debate show, where we will pose the question: Shankly or Paisley? Who was Liverpool's greatest ever manager?
Was Shankly's achievement in transforming Anfield, the home of a team going nowhere fast when he arrived in 1959, into 'a bastion of invincibility' by the time he left in 1974, enough to earn him the title of Liverpool's greatest ever manager?
Or does that honour have to go to the man who followed him into the Anfield hot seat? Does Paisley's incredible trophy haul – including six league titles and three European Cups – place him above the man he loyally assisted in the Anfield Boot Room?
For years, Paisley has been English football's most successful ever boss but amazingly, that title is no guarantee supporters will vote him Liverpool's greatest manager on July 31.
Shankly's unique vision, incredible rapport with the supporters and socialist outlook on both life and football captured the imagination of Liverpool fans everywhere and even today, his name is still the most revered in Anfield history. To many of his disciples, Bill Shankly was more than a manager – he was, and still is, an icon of football and when it came to talking the talk, only Muhammad Ali could rival him.
Bob Paisley certainly never tried to match the Scot's charisma – he let his players do the talking for him on the pitch and if you believe you can only judge a football man on the number of trophies he's won, Paisley has to be the greatest. Shankly won six trophies in 15 years; Paisley captured a staggering 14 in just nine.
So, who is it to be? By 11pm on July 31, we hope to be able to provide the answer.
The minute The Great Debate kicks off on LFC TV, a poll will go live on the official website, liverpoolfc.tv, asking supporters the very same question we'll be asking our two studio guests and viewers at home: Who is Liverpool's greatest ever manager?
Visitors to the website will be able cast their vote up until 10.50pm, while all fans will be welcome to call up the show and debate the subject with our two special guests, Ian St John and Phil Neal, two men who owe many of their greatest achievements in life to Bill and Bob.
While fans vote on the website, the show on LFC TV will present a case for each manager with classic match action and contributions from special guests. We'll be updating viewers on how the voting is going throughout the show and we'll also be sharing some of the views posted by supporters on not only the official website's message boards but also the forums of various independent LFC websites. If you've got something to say, we want to hear from you – either live on the night or posted up on a message board. We also want you to vote on the night – it's LFC TV's Great Debate but only you can decide the outcome.
The show starts at 9pm on Thursday 31 July with the vote opening simultaneously on liverpoolfc.tv.
Click here to join the debate on our message boards>>
As well as asking you which manager is Liverpool's greatest, as a side issue, we'll also asking you to vote on your Shankly and Paisley achievement at Liverpool.
Lucas Leiva is eager to force his way into Liverpool's starting line-up on a more regular basis next season and has already set his sights on helping to end the club's 18-year wait for the Barclays Premier League title. The Brazilian midfielder, who started 12 league matches in his first campaign with the Reds, admits competition for places in the centre of Liverpool's midfield is more intense than ever, but hopes he can go on and make more of an impact in his second year with the club.
"Of course it's going to be difficult but I will be trying my best (to get regular starts)," said Lucas.
"We had a good second half of the season but we didn't win the title. Hopefully this year we can win the title and this is our challenge now.
"I think that winning the league is most important because it's been an 18 year wait since we last won it.
"The focus is to win something but the most important thing now is the Premier League."
While Liverpool begin to step up their preparations ahead of the big kick off at Sunderland on August 16, Lucas will now turn his attention to Brazil's bid for Olympic glory.
He admits it is frustrating to miss the Reds' opening matches of the season but insists representing his country was an opportunity he could not turn down.
"Of course Liverpool would have wanted me playing in Liverpool because I will miss some games - some important games - but they know that this (the Olympics) is important for me and for the country.
"Hopefully, we will win this title and then I can return to Liverpool and think about the Premier League, the Champions League and the other cups."
Brazil head to Beijing as the favourites to claim the Gold medal and while Lucas would love to secure that honour with his country, he is keen to remain cautious and take each game at a time.
"It's good to be favourites but now we just have to think about taking it game by game," he said.
"It's difficult but now we have to focus on our two friendlies against Singapore and Vietnam and then think about the Olympics.
"It's normal for Brazil to be thought of as favourites so we just have to take it game by game and try to do our best."
APPEARANCES Most first team appearances Ian Callaghan (857) Most League appearances Ian Callaghan (640) Most FA Cup appearances Ian Callaghan (79) Most League Cup appearances Ian Rush (78) Most European appearances Jamie Carragher (91) Oldest player Ted Doig, 41 yrs & 165 days v Newcastle United (A), 11 April 1908 Youngest player Max Thompson, 17 yrs & 129 days v Tottenham Hotspur (a) 8 May 1974 Most seasons as an ever-present Phil Neal (9) Most consecutive appearances Phil Neal (417) 23 October 1976 to 24 September 1983 Longest serving player Elisha Scott – 21 yrs & 52 days: 1913 to 1934 Oldest debutant Ted Doig, 37 yrs & 307 days v Burton U (H) 1 September 1904
GOALS Most first team goals Ian Rush (346) Most League goals Roger Hunt (245) Most FA Cup goals Ian Rush (39) Most League Cup goals Ian Rush (48) Most European goals Steven Gerrard (23) Highest scoring substitute David Fairclough (18) Most hat-tricks Gordon Hodgson (17) Most hat-tricks in a season Roger Hunt (5 in 1961-62) Most penalties scored Jan Molby (42) Most games without scoring Ephraim Longworth (371) Youngest goalscorer Michael Owen, 17 yrs & 144 days v Wimbledon (a) 6 May 1997 Oldest goalscorer Billy Liddell, 38 yrs & 55 days V Stoke City (h) 5 March 1960
INTERNATIONALS Most capped player Ian Rush (67) with Wales Most international goals Ian Rush (26)
HONOURS Most medals Phil Neal (20)
MATCHES Record victory 11-0 v Strømsgodset Record defeat 1-9 v Birmingham City
TRANSFER FEES Record transfer fee paid Fernando Torres Record transfer fee received £12.5 million for Robbie Fowler
ATTENDANCES Highest League attendance: 58,757 v Chelsea, 1949/50 Highest FA Cup attendance 61,905 v Wolves, 1951/52 fifth round Highest League Cup attendance 50,880 v Nottingham Forest, 1979/80 semi-final 2nd leg Highest European attendance 55,104 v Barcelona, 1975/76 UEFA Cup semi-final 2nd leg Lowest League attendance 1,000 v Loughborough Town on 7 December 1895 Lowest League attendance (post-war) 11,976 against Scunthorpe United for a Division 2 game on 22 April 1959 Lowest FA Cup attendance 4,000 v Newton on 29 October 1892 2nd Qualifying Round Lowest FA Cup attendance (post-war) 11,207 v Chester City, 1945-46 3rd rd 2nd leg Lowest League Cup attendance 9,902 v Brentford, 1983/84 2nd rd, 2nd leg Lowest European attendance 12,021 v Dundalk, 1982/83 European Cup 1st rd, 1st leg Record highest attendance 61,905 v Wolves, 1951/52 FA Cup fifth round Record lowest attendance 1,000 against Loughborough Town on 7 December 1895
Steven Gerrard was celebrating today after being the proud recipient of an Honorary Fellowship from Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) in recognition of his services to sport, during a graduation ceremony at the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral.
Gerrard, whose achievements on the pitch have already earned him an MBE, said: "I'm really privileged to be here today but without my team-mates at Liverpool Football Club this wouldn't be possible. A lot of the things that I've achieved in football with the team and also individually wouldn't have happened without my team-mates so I would like to say a big thank you to them.
"I'd also like to thank the pro-Chancellor and the vice-Chancellor for welcoming me into the university family. I am really proud to come from Liverpool and I always try to do my best for this city, on and off the pitch, and I promise to continue to do that.
"I would like to say what an honour it is to receive the scroll today. I will look after it for the rest of my life and also what an experience this has been for myself. The staff at the university have really made me feel so welcome and everyone on the stage has made me so relaxed."
The Reds skipper also paid a personal tribute to all of the graduates who were honoured by the university.
"I would also like to congratulate all of the graduates," said Gerrard. "I think this day belongs to them more than me. I've achieved this with great help from a number of players and a number of coaches - everyone at Liverpool Football Club and at international level - and my family who have been with me from day one.
"They have had to work so hard individually to achieve their dream today so congratulations."
Professor Michael Brown, who is vice-chancellor at LJMU, said: "Steven epitomises the university philosophy of 'Dream, Plan, Achieve'.
"As a young boy he excelled in the sport he loves and ensured his talent was recognised, looking upon challenges as opportunities and pursuing each available avenue.
"As a result he has become one of the best sportsmen in the country, if not the world, with a reputation for integrity both on and off the pitch.
"As a prominent sporting figure and a son of the city, it is fitting that LJMU, an international leader in sports and exercise science and a major contributor to Liverpool's success and growth, should award Steven with this Honorary Fellowship.
"We are delighted to welcome him into the university family."
"I would also like to congratulate all of the graduates," said Gerrard. "I think this day belongs to them more than me. I've achieved this with great help from a number of players and a number of coaches - everyone at Liverpool Football Club and at international level - and my family who have been with me from day one. 
