Houllier praises Chelsea star

The former Italian international has yet to decide whether or not he will retire from football at the end of the season. Houllier, of course, could help him to make the decision to hang up his famous boots by denying him a final swansong in the Champions League. The Reds boss, though, feels Zola should continue to entertain fans from across the nation for some time yet.

Houllier said: "I hope Gianfranco doesn't retire. He's been a fantastic advert for the Premiership and still performs to a very high level. I know he looks after himself and doesn't need to play every game to be important to the club."