SANTI FIRED UP FOR OLD FOE

FORMER Arsenal star Santi Cazorla admits he can’t wait to renew his rivalry with Steven Gerrard in tonight’s Europa League clash. The 33-year-old midfielder rejoined Villarreal during the summer after six years in London, during which time he faced Gerrard as a Liverpool opponent. Cazorla admits he has always admired the former England captain, but is keen to inflict a first continental defeat of Gerrard’s emerging managerial career. ‘Gerrard is, and always has been, a reference for me,’ said Cazorla, back playing after a near twoyear battle against an injury that required reconstruction of his Achilles tendon. ‘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 noticed as a footballer. I wish him all the luck in his career as a coach, but I’m hoping he does not enjoy it (tonight). ‘Rangers are a complicated and intense opponent. Scottish teams are always like this, we have already faced them in the past. 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.’ Villarreal beat Leganes on Sunday for their first win of the La Liga season and coach Javi Calleja hopes that may provide a template for seeing off Rangers. ‘They are a team that has similarities to the game against Leganes,’ said Calleja. ‘They have a lot of intensity in their play, they are dangerous in the air and at set-pieces. ‘But we worked well against those aspects the other day and we managed to counteract that potential.’