Gerrard looks ahead to United test

Steven Gerrard has stressed the importance of Monday night’s FA Cup tie at Manchester United and spoken of the significance of the competition on a personal level.

Villa head to Old Trafford for their third-round tie looking to repeat the 1-0 success they had at United earlier in the season.

Villa, seven-time winners of the world’s oldest domestic cup competition, have not progressed past the third round for the past five seasons since bowing out in the fourth round in 2015/16.

And head coach Gerrard, who twice lifted the trophy as a player, insists he will be playing his strongest side possible against United as Villa go all out to buck that trend of recent years.

“We see it as a really important game,” said Gerrard.

“This is not a case of focusing on the league and we’re going to be changing the team and the squad very much.

“We’re going to Old Trafford to try and get a positive result for the club and try to qualify for the next round.

“This is a super important game for us.”

He added: “We’ve been given a really tough draw, to go to Old Trafford in the opening round, there were certainly kinder draws out there for us, but you get what you’re given.

“You have to prepare your team in the best possibly way.

“Any time you go to Old Trafford with the level of player they’ve got, they’ve got a new coach in, you know you’re going to be in for a real tough game.

“So that’s what we’ve prepared for and we’ll go there with the strongest possible team we’ve got available to try and get the best result we can.”

Gerrard won the FA Cup as a player with Liverpool in 2001 and 2006, both of which iconic finals at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

But it will be the latter which stands out in the memory for many football fans as Liverpool and West Ham United served up a thrilling spectacle.

Gerrard found the net twice, including a stunning injury-time equaliser to level the final 3-3, before netting in the subsequent penalty shootout, inspiring Liverpool’s thrilling comeback with a man-of-the-match performance to lift the famous trophy.

Reflecting on his association with the competition as he prepares for his first FA Cup match as a head coach, he said: “In terms of history, it means a lot because I’ve had a good level of success and some of the highlights of my career came in this competition.

“I think it’s a real tradition, it’s a special competition for everyone who’s English and British because we know it very well. But I think every foreigner who comes into the country, when you’re having conversations with them, the FA Cup always comes up.

“So, it’s got a name for itself worldwide as well.

“I’m looking forward to competing in it from a managerial point of view, I think it’s a big welcome to the FA Cup in this situation – getting Manchester United away at Old Trafford in your first game.

“But it is what it is and we’ll go there and give it our best shot; we’re looking forward to it.”