Cazorla eager to renew old acquaintances

SANTI Cazorla is relishing the chance to go head-to-head with Steven Gerrard once again when he lines up against Rangers tonight.

The Spaniard was a midfield opponent of Liverpool legend Gerrard during his playing career at Arsenal and is now back with his first club, Villarreal.

Gerrard’s side face The Yellow Submarines in the Europa League aiming to get their Group G campaign off to a positive start.

And Cazorla is expecting a tough test against the Light Blues as Gerrard bids to mastermind the biggest win of his managerial career to date.

He said: “My last match was in the Champions League two years ago, so coming back to Europe is nice and more with Villarreal, a team with whom I have lived many things and very special.

“The opponent is a complicated opponent, he is an intense opponent and we know that the Scottish teams are always like this, we have already faced them other times, we know that they are very strong on set pieces, we know they will be very intense in all the actions and that we must match them from the first minute.

“This is going to be a very even group, so we expect to be up to the task in all the matches and move on to the next round, we got it right after the first victory, everything is better after winning.

“Gerrard is and has always been a reference for me, it’s special to face him again. I’ve had the luck to face him in the Premier League, and he’s always been a player I’ve admired.

“I wish him all the luck in his career as a coach, but hope he does not have it here.”