SOCCER UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Liverpool v Atletico Madrid:STEVEN GERRARD dreams of receiving a "well done" from Rafael Benitez before he retires and even now, after five seasons, one European Cup and one FA Cup triumph, it remains a rarity to hear the Liverpool manager dispense acclaim.

In the case of Dirk Kuyt, however, Benitez is only too willing to make an exception for a player who embodies the sacrifice he demands from all at Anfield.

Contract uncertainty aside, these are rewarding times for the €11.2 million Dutchman. "He is a player I can always trust 100 per cent," said Benitez yesterday, his message about what Kuyt brings now accepted without reservation.

With six goals so far Kuyt heads into tonight's Champions League return with Atletico Madrid as Liverpool's leading scorer this term and, in the anticipated absence of Fernando Torres, as the in-form striker in Benitez's quest for rapid qualification for the knock-out phase.

In keeping with Liverpool's position in the Premier League and in Group D it is a far cry from the torment the 28-year-old suffered on and off the pitch at the start of last season.

Deployed on the right, Kuyt accepted his move out of the front line without complaint as Torres flourished. Though plenty of criticism came his way as he struggled to readjust to Benitez's instructions, he now admits he found himself "desperate" for a goal despite a season that ultimately yielded seven in the Champions League. "I wasn't bothered about the criticism because I accept that as part of the game," Kuyt said. "The most important thing is when your manager and team-mates believe in you. They were always there through the difficult times.

"I am feeling really well at the moment. I am playing in a different position on the right but I am enjoying it. As everyone knows, I had a really hard period at the beginning of last season with the loss of my dad and it is more difficult when you are in a different country. But lots of people helped me - my family, my friends and my team-mates and the people here at Liverpool. But now I am glad I have left that spell behind and I am looking to the future. I am now enjoying my football and am being involved in important moments and helping set up important goals. I have also scored some important goals myself and I want to keep on doing that."

Benitez claims that his own contribution to Kuyt's recovery last season extended to nothing more than playing The Netherlands forward on a weekly basis. "The best way to support a player is to pick the player," he said. "And, with Kuyt, you know he is the type of person who will always give you something back."

Kuyt's importance to Liverpool's impressive start to the season, regardless of Saturday's first defeat at Spurs, was underlined at Atletico a fortnight ago when he was "rotated" to the bench with the impending league game at Chelsea in mind. That policy, Benitez admitted yesterday, is likely to return following the Atletico encounter where victory, coupled with a win for Marseille at home to PSV, would guarantee qualification for Liverpool with two games to spare.

"I don't think anything has changed for us with Saturday's defeat," Kuyt added. "We've still got the confidence and belief and, even though we lost at Spurs, we showed that we have the quality. I don't think we have got anything to worry about.

"It becomes a worry if you are not playing well and you are losing. Sometimes things like Saturday happen. Sometimes you have a bit of bad luck. We have come from behind a few times this season and people have said we've been lucky - but now we've been unlucky."

Diego Maradona, before his confirmation as Argentina's coach, is rumoured to be considering an appearance at Anfield tonight for a meeting with Javier Mascherano, the Liverpool midfielder, although Benitez's interest in superstars extends only to Torres. The former Atletico idol has missed the last five matches with a hamstring injury and is rated as having only a "70 per cent" chance by Benitez.

Atletico manager Javier Aguirre insists he wants to see Torres on the pitch facing his side. He said: "We are aware that he has been injured, but I want him to be 100 per cent fit and playing against us, I want us to be challenged by the very best."

Guardian Service