Ello everyone! Been a really hectic day today. School and trying to keep track of the Liverpool/VfB Stuttgart games, it is brutal when you are tying to pay attention in Yearbook class. Anyway, I came across this tidbit and thought I would like to share it with you. A big thank you goes out to the lovely people at UEFA.com for this bit. :D

Liverpool FC midfielder Lucas will be in the uefa.com chatroom at 16.00CET on Thursday. Join us then to put your questions to our guest, who will be looking back at his club's encounter with Hungarian champions Debreceni VSC on Matchday 1 of the 2009/10 UEFA Champions League.

New campaign
Liverpool also take on ACF Fiorentina and Olympique Lyonnais in Group E and you may want to ask Lucas about playing these teams, about who he thinks are the clubs to look out for in Europe this season, or about how coach Rafael Benítez's men have kicked off their Premier League campaign, which takes them to West Ham United FC on Saturday.

16.00CET kick-off
This is your chance to chat live with Lucas so be sure to log on to uefa.com at 16.00CET tomorrow to send your questions. Simply look out for the chat link at the top of the page. Lucas will answer as many of your questions as possible.

Penny  Lane must have seemed a million miles away from Madrid to the young Spanish schoolboy.

So too, the ‘Yellow Submarine’ that Fernando Torres sang about with his brother as they recited Beatles hits passed down from their father Jose.

Indeed, ‘El Nino’, would not even have known who the Fab Four were given his tender years or what it was they were singing about. But he loved their tunes all the same. And that was all that mattered.

Had anyone told him just how intricately linked he would ultimately become with Liverpool’s most famous sons and he would have laughed it off as madness. Liverpool? He’d never even heard of it. Yet the city was to become his second home. His future. The platform for his footballing dreams and the Beatles back catalogue was to become his Bible.

He said: “One of the biggest problems I faced when I first moved to Liverpool was the language barrier. My English was limited to the classes I had taken at school in Fuenlabrada. You think you know a bit of English and that you can get by but when you actually arrive in England you soon realise that you haven’t really got a clue. I was told to be honest and say; ‘I didn’t catch that, could you say it again?’ but the truth is I didn’t always take that advice. I nearly always just mumbled a ‘no’. That’s what I did whenever I was in the supermarket and was asked if I wanted ‘cash back’. It’s not something we have in Spain and I had no idea what it was. It was three months before I knew what they were talking about. One afternoon, the way back from having lunch we decided to go shopping. I’d been told about Costco and so we decided to go in and have a look. As we were going through the door, the security guard stopped. We assumed he was asking for a member’s card that we didn’t have and so, not be able to explain in English, we just turned and left without a word. The next day I was told if you’re not a member you can’t shop there. Two people were vital during my first few days in the city: Rob and Alan, the English teachers Liverpool laid on for me. One of the things they used to make me do was ring people in response to adverts in the paper. You’d get on the phone and ask about a puppy for sale, or that kitten being advertised, or the price of a second hand car. The idea was to get me used to speaking in English on the phone but at first the idea terrified me. So much so that I would panic when I didn’t understand something and find myself having to ring Pepe Reina. The car radio became my constant travelling companion. Every morning on my way to training at Melwood, I would listen and try to concentrate on what was being said. At first I only understood a few words but bit by bit I could feel myself improving. As I went past billboards I would try to translate them, too, and with every passing day I was getting better and better. Some nights, I even dared to pick up the phone and order food. When it turned up, it was nearly always what I wanted.  When we were in hotels preparing for games I watched films in English with the subtitles on. The other thing I always carried with me was ‘English Training’ on my Nintendo DS - language games and exercises that helped me develop my English. I was terrified at the prospect of having to have a conversation on the phone. Imagine how much worse it is when that conversation is with the fire service! My smoke alarm kept going off in the house I was renting and one afternoon I got a call. I just about worked out that the man on the other end was from the local fire station but I didn’t understand anything else.  A few minutes later a fire engine turned up at the house, packed with fireman thinking they were being called into action. They came three times in three days before they worked out that the smoke from cooking was causing the alarm to go off prematurely. The next time the alarm went off, they called me first to check whether they really did have to set off again. I like the Beatles a lot. Before I ever imagined that I would end up in Liverpool, I listened to their songs. Now I’ve rediscovered them because listening to them has helped me to pick up the language more quickly. My favourite songs are ‘Penny Lane’ and ‘Yellow Submarine’.”

A giant 51-foot long, 15-foot high, 18 tons steel Yellow Submarine, replica built to commemorate the famous song, greeted Torres upon arrival at Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport.

Torres found himself immersed in Liverpool’s history, it’s culture, walking the famous streets, from Princess Dock to Victoria Street, taking time to enjoy Matthew Street and the Beatles tour, though he is still to visit the Cavern Club.

 “What can I say about the legendary band, a symbol of the city? There’s not much I can add, although it did strike me that – despite what you might imagine – people in Liverpool aren’t constantly talking about the Beatles and their success,” he added. "People have an enormous amount of respect and admiration for them, because everyone in London is conscious of the fact that the Beatles and Liverpool FC have taken the name of the city round the world.”

Torres is not your average footballer. There will be no tabloid tales of bad boy behaviour, no sordid nightclub tales or weekly pictures of his latest supercar. Nights in playing cards, watching television with his wifey Olalla Dominguez Liste, or even a bit of DIY? Now you’re talking.

He explained:   “I’m very much a homely person. I am at my most comfortable and relaxed there.  One of my favourite moments each day, matches permitting, is the evening stroll with Olalla (my wife) and our two dogs. They’re English bulldogs, a male called Pomo and a female called Llanta. We have found a couple of parks near where we live that are relaxed and peaceful, offering a real escape. At home, we spend time playing board games with friends and family. When it comes to Monopoly, Scatergory, or Hotel, there are real battles. For a change, we sometimes play cards, even though I’m not one for the typical footballer’s game like poker or the games played with a 40-card Spanish deck, like mus or pocha. But  I do enjoy playing brisca and tute, Spanish games similar to trumps. Television is an alternative and I like to be up to date with what’s going on in the world, and not just the sports news. My favourite programmes are ‘The Dog Whisperer’ and ‘Super Nanny’. I love Stanley Park, the one that divides Anfield and Goodison and which I got to know when I went to film the Spanish number 9 advert for Nike there. I’ve also been to Chester, and to Formby on the coast where, weather permitting, I like to devour a Flake 99, with raspberry sauce. We have adapted perfectly to Liverpool but when it comes to eating we still follow a Spanish timetable. Eating at English times still feels too early so we started arranging barbeques. A few of us got together along with Mikel Arteta from Everton. One Sunday we started eating in the garden, it was a sunny day with the odd cloud and we didn’t think anything of it....until the heavens opened and it started snowing. Yes, snowing! Since then, the slightest sign of bad weather and we set up in the garage instead. During my first few months in Liverpool I seemed to be permanently surrounded by hammers, screwdrivers, pliers and spanners as I discovered a new hubby: putting together furniture. There were tools everywhere. In Spain I hadn’t put together a single wardrobe but here in England I found myself in the position where I either had to get on and do it or the box would just gather dust. Sometimes, I would end up getting so irritated I would end up crawling to bed shattered – but with the world done. My determination to finish the job off meant that one night in 2007 I didn’t finish until the small hours. I had come home in a bad mood after we had lost 1-0 at home to Olympic Marseilles in the Champions League. I decided the best way to work the frustration out of my system was to put together two pieces of furniture for the living room. By the time I had finished it was 4am. I haven’t experienced Liverpool’s nightlife. I have been out a couple of times to eat after Champions League matches and you can see there’s a lot going on. One thing that does surprise me is that no one seems to wear a coat. Everyone is done up and dressed to impress but few of them wrap up warm, even though the temperature can’t be much above freezing. One thing that I would like to do is watch a game in the pub. Everyone tells me about the passion with which fans follow matches between pints.”

Thankies to mirrorfootball.co.uk for bits of the post!

Liverpool fan Michael Shields, who was jailed for 15 years for the attempted murder of a barman in Bulgaria, gave a thumbs up as he walked free from prison on Wednesday after being granted a pardon by Justice Secretary Jack Straw.

He has been eligible for a pardon since December 2008, but the Justice Secretary requested more information before making his decision.

Shields was arrested in Varna on May 30, 2005 and was later transfered from a Bulgarian jail to Thorn Cross Prison.

Mr Straw met with Shields' parents on August 28, when they presented new evidence which convinced him of Shields's innocence. Following that meeting he recommended to the Queen that Shields be pardoned.

Shields' solicitor John Wheate said: "At first Michael couldn't believe it after all these years and knock backs. But now he is absolutely ecstatic and so are his family."

Mr Straw said he was told by Shields' parents about a meeting between members of the Shields family and another man accused of the attack on barman Martin Georgiev, who was struck on the head with a rock. Mr Straw was told the man, Graham Sankey, confessed to the attack on the second day of Shields' trial in Bulgaria.

He said: "I was told in the course of the visit that the man made an oral confession in front of several other people. This episode, I was told, happened on 22 July 2005, a day after the start of Mr Shields' trial in Bulgaria. I will not set out in this statement all the evidence that has come to light over the last two weeks but suffice it to say that there is very good reason to believe I was being told the truth. This, in my view, profoundly changed the credibility of the various accounts of what actually happened in this case. I have concluded, having looked carefully at all the evidence now available, that Michael Shields is telling the truth when he says he is innocent of the attempted murder of which he was convicted in Bulgaria. That being so I have recommended to Her Majesty the Queen that he should be granted a free pardon. Mr Shields is being released from prison today and will return home to his family a free man."

After he was told of the confession, Mr Straw asked Merseyside Police to make further inquiries. Details of the evidence, and of what the police uncovered, has been passed to the Bulgarian authorities.

The alleged confession by Mr Sankey, an electrician from Liverpool, had been ruled inadmissible at Shields' trial. Mr Sankey's solicitor later suggested it may have been an entirely different fight in which his client took part.

A Downing Street spokesman said Prime Minister Gordon Brown was "very supportive" of the decision to pardon Shields.

Thankies to ESPN for the story

Lionel Messi, a key figure in FC Barcelona's march to UEFA Champions League glory last season, has more to celebrate after collecting the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year prize at the UEFA Club Football Awards in Monaco. The Argentinian international was also selected as Best Forward while team-mate Xavi Hernández took the Best Midfielder trophy. Manchester United FC's Edwin van der Sar was nominated Best Goalkeeper and Chelsea FC captain John Terry completed the honors list as he received his third Best Defender gong from Paolo Maldini.

Messi had scored Barcelona's second goal – his ninth of the 2008/09 competition – in the UEFA Champions League final against Manchester United in Rome, as the Catalan side became the first Spanish team to lift the Liga, Copa del Rey and European Champion Clubs' Cup titles in one season. If the headed goal from Messi that capped his sensational campaign was a collector's item, his presence on the scoresheet was more predictable: the 22-year-old struck 38 goals in all competitions last term.

Messi succeeds Cristiano Ronaldo as the Club Footballer of the Year and is the second Argentinian international to land the prize after Fernando Redondo in 2000. "It is an enormous joy to be able to receive such an important award as this," he said. "And it's also a pleasure to be able to thank all the people who voted for me and who decided I should get this award."

Draw Results

Mike Ashley’s sports shop chain has issued an apology after one of its employees allowed a Manchester United fan to have customised printing mocking the Hillsborough victims on the back of his replica shirt. Colm Jackson had the slogan ‘YSB 96 NOT ENOUGH’ printed at the Sports Direct in the Arndale Centre, in Manchester.

Images of the shirt were uploaded to Jackson’s Facebook profile causing outrage on Liverpool fan sites. The photos were removed by Facebook after a series of complaints, and now Sports Direct have apologized after it became clear they were responsible for the printing.

A Sports Direct spokesman said: “Sports Direct has been notified that an extremely offensive and wholly inappropriate football shirt was printed at one of its stores. The store assistant printed this unknowingly and has been deeply shocked upon being notified of the significance of this and the upset caused. Sports Direct has taken immediate action and changed the administration policy for printing football shirts across its store network. With immediate effect, it will only allow printing of current football players names and numbers on football shirts. Sports Direct has contacted Facebook to request the urgent withdrawal of this deeply offensive image from the individual’s Facebook page, and is very apologetic for this spiteful and abusive shirt.”

Manchester United had also vowed to revoke Jackson’s season ticket, but had since found out he was not a season ticket holder.

Good Friday to you wherever you are. I want to take a sec to thank all the readers that made my last Liverpool post a feature. Thank you.

Now, onto business.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has condemned Lucas Leiva's critics after the midfielder earned a call-up to the Brazil squad.

Lucas showed promising form despite the Reds' poor pre-season campaign and continued his form into Liverpool's 4-0 clubbing of Stoke City in midweek.

Brazil manager Dunga has now called up the midfielder for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Argentina and Chile in a clear sign of Lucas' progress under Benitez.

Despite the progress, the 22-year-old was still made a scapegoat as Liverpool fell to Tottenham on the opening day of the season, criticism which Benitez is adamant was unfair.

"Lucas has a very good mentality. But for someone of his age to suffer such criticism from the experts on TV is wrong," Benitez claimed. "He is so good but still he was criticised. I do not understand why they do not criticize other players, more senior players, when they do not play well. He is an easy target and maybe they are not brave enough to criticise the bigger players here. But he will have a big season. He was the best player in pre-season and at Spurs, when we did not play well, he was still one of the best alongside Glen Johnson and Pepe Reina. Against Stoke he again showed his quality. He has a very good mentality. He can tackle, win headers and pass the ball. He will make mistakes like anyone, but he is and will be a very good player. I was really pleased for Lucas, in particular, after the win against Stoke and his performance. I have been really surprised at the amount of criticism he has had to cope with from the pundits, the so-called experts. Lucas is still a young player but he has experience. And after the display against Stoke everyone can see, even the so-called experts on TV pundit panels, can see he is a very good player. Hopefully they will now stop using him as a target. He is a very good lad, an excellent professional. I find it hard to understand that if you are an expert on TV, you cannot see these things."

Oh! That looks so painful!! :(

It turns out yesterday’s Rafa has quit rumors were just that: rumors. Benitez re-affirmed his commitment to Liverpool as victory over Stoke left him in a jovial mood. The Spaniard joked that his side were the Premier League pacesetters when it came to getting stitches.

Fernando Torres received 10 stitches to a head wound after clashing heads with Potters’ defender and reported Rafa-target Ryan Shawcross.

Benitez said:

“We are at the top of the table now - for stitches, Carra had 20 on Sunday, Skrtel some more and now Torres, maybe 30 in total - so we are top!“

Responding to yesterday’s whispers that he had walked out on Liverpool, Benitez said the rumors had reached him but there was no truth in them.

He said:

“I was told about the rumors, that maybe something happened here at Anfield, but I will tell the fans I want to stay - my commitment is 100 per cent. If I can improve the squad I will be pleased, but if I can’t then I will stay to try and compete with the squad that we have.”

(Thanks to Rob at Off the Post)

Liverpool have confirmed a deal has been agreed to sign Greece international Sotirios Kyrgiakos, subject to the defender passing a medical.

It was revealed on Tuesday that Reds boss Rafa Benitez had lined up a move for the AEK Athens stopper to provide cover in his back-line.

Benitez revealed after his team's 4-0 win over Stoke City on Wednesday evening that the former Rangers centre-half is heading to Anfield.

Kyrgiakos is expected to arrive on Merseyside before the weekend to undergo a medical and he could be involved in next Monday's Premier League game against Aston Villa.

"We have nearly done the deal subject to a medical," Benitez told the club's official website. "He is a player with experience who can hopefully help us in defence. "He has experience in British football and Rangers. After that with Frankfurt and the national team. He's a good player in the air, strong and aggressive. We were looking for a player with experience. He will have the medical this week, it has to be before the weekend."

Benitez is currently without both Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel through injury, and started Spanish teenager Daniel Ayala alongside Jamie Carragher against Stoke.

Story spotted on Sky Sports

Liverpool are in the market for defensive reinforcements and it is believed they have lined up a move for AEK stopper Sotiris Kyrgiakos.

The Reds have been linked with the likes of Stoke's Ryan Shawcross and Hull's Michael Turner, but Kyrgiakos appears to be a cheaper option for Rafa Benitez.

With reports of Benitez having his transfer budget restricted Liverpool have switched their attentions to Kyrgiakos and they are believed to have agreed a €3million (£2.5million) fee with AEK for the 30-year-old.

Kyrgiakos is understood to have said his goodbyes to his AEK team-mates and is now thought to be travelling to England to hold talks with Liverpool officials and undergo a medical.