Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry said: 'I've spoken to Gerard and he's excited by the draw against Auxerre. They're a good team, a young team, and it's not an easy one although we do know a lot about them.
'Gerard always enjoys going back to France for a game so that adds a little bit of excitement. It's also easy to get to geographically. I didn't fancy a trip to the wilds of Turkey.'
Parry, though, is refusing to think ahead to the Battle of Britain clash which could take place in the quarter finals.
'We played them (Celtic) five years ago in the UEFA Cup when Steve McManaman scored that excellent goal,' said Parry. 'There would be some atmosphere in the those two games but let's concentrate on winning the Auxerre ties before thinking about that.
