Gerrard's Liverpool have no fear

Liverpool FC captain Steven Gerrard insists his side have nothing to fear from AC Milan as they look to win the UEFA Champions League for the second time in three seasons.

'Strong Milan'
Liverpool recovered from 3-0 down against Milan in 2005 to win the final on penalties, and as Rafael Benítez's side prepare to take on the Rossoneri again in Athens, Gerrard says confidence is high they can bring the trophy back to Merseyside for a sixth time. "I've watched Milan a lot this season and they are different from 2005, but they are still strong," said Gerrard, who has been offered a new contract by Liverpool.

'Confident'
"They showed against Manchester United [FC] that they are a fantastic team and deserve a lot of respect and that's what we'll give them on the night, but we won't fear them. We're a good team ourselves and we're confident we can do the job. What's important to us is that we prepare right and that the Liverpool team that's been in Europe all season turns up in Athens. If that good team turns up then Milan are in for a really difficult game and we're confident we can lift that cup."

'Humidity'
Liverpool have flown to Spain for a training camp to prepare for next Wednesday's final, just as they did before defeating FC Barcelona in the first knockout round. That trip was dogged by controversy, but Liverpool responded with a superb win at Camp Nou. "We are taking our golf clubs out there," Gerrard joked. "We are going to prepare normally - do the things we normally do back home but obviously we're going to prepare in the heat because we know it's going to be really humid in Greece and that it will be an important factor.

'Turning point'
"The Barcelona game was a big turning point in our Champions League run. To go to the Camp Nou and beat one of the best sides in Europe 2-1, playing good attacking football, that gave us the confidence and belief we could get to this final. But all the hard work we've done this season against your Barcelonas, your Chelseas and in the group, we don't want to let all that go to waste by getting beat in the final."

Refocus minds
Since knocking out Chelsea FC in the semi-finals Benítez has rested key players for the final Premiership games against Fulham FC and Charlton Athletic FC. Having failed to win either, the Liverpool manager said the time had come to refocus minds. "In the last games we were watching a team thinking about the final," he said.

'Calm and confident'
"Our job is to keep the players calm and confident and to give them the things they need to know. The whole idea [about going to Spain] is to train normally and to enjoy it, but especially to be focused. The difference now is that we are closer to the end of the season and cannot train as hard as before. It is more about atmosphere and team spirit."