Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert is aware of rumours linking Fabian Delph with Liverpool. Talk of a move away from the club is obviously a topic that Lambert doesn't want to discuss in detail as he's keen to tie him down for an extended period in the Midlands.

When asked whether he could be a suitable alternative for Steven Gerrard, though, the Scot replied: "Steven Gerrard is going to be a really hard player to replace. How do you replace him? With anybody...

"He's been an important player for them has Gerrard. He'll be a massive loss on the pitch and maybe off it will be even harder."