Brad Friedel has welcomed the appointment of Gerard Houllier as new Aston Villa manager.
Despite rumours that Houllier's arrival would unsettle his Liverpool former keeper, Friedel was confident that the work he did at Liverpool demonstrates his ability to re-establish clubs.
"There was a lot that needed to be done at Liverpool when he took over - not only the first team but the whole infrastructure of the club," he told AVTV.
"He had a lot of work to do there and he did very well indeed. Liverpool were falling behind Arsenal and Manchester United not just on the field but off the field with the youth setup, with the merchandising and with the global brand, in a sense.
"I think that was one of the reasons they brought him in because that is what his background and pedigree was - to revamp the whole infrastructure of the football club.
"And then, on top of that, the co-managerialship didn't work out so he found himself as a sole manager, so he had a lot on his plate.
"But he did a fantastic job. When people go back there and see the new Melwood [training ground] and things of that nature, they can attribute all that to him.
"I am very hopeful he can take this club forward. He's very astute and very professional. He always gets the best out of his clubs."
