Source: Liverpool_Echo
Liverpool FC’s Dirk Kuyt out to be the Euro star yet again
Liverpool FC's Dirk Kuyt out to be the Euro star yet again[LNB]HISTORY is beckoning for Dirk Kuyt. His next two Champions League goals will put him level with Ian Rush in Liverpool's all-time list of European Cup scorers.[LNB]That, to some, might seem a mind-boggling fact, as Kuyt - though bought as a striker from Feyenoord in the summer of 2006 - has occasionally been criticised for not hitting the target enough during his career on Merseyside.[LNB]Cast a glance at the Dutchman's record in Europe, however, and you will see it stands up to the closest scrutiny; when Liverpool have needed a goal in this competition, Kuyt, more often than not, has been the man to supply it.[LNB]He, of course, rifled in the decisive penalty in the semi-final shootout against Chelsea which set up an Athens showdown with AC Milan in 2007 and his late header in the final almost sparked a comeback that would have been on par with Istanbul.[LNB]Then there was the close range effort at the Emirates Stadium in April 2008 which secured a priceless 1-1 draw with Arsenal and another against Standard Liege, in a qualifying round in August of that year, which averted a calamity.[LNB]More recently, Kuyt's toe poke when Group E whipping boys Debrecen arrived at Anfield in September pilfered Liverpool's only European points of this current campaign and, once again, reminded everyone of his importance to this squad.[LNB]Yet history is the last thing on Kuyt's mind right now. With Liverpool's ambitions in the Champions League hanging by a thread following unexpected defeats against Fiorentina and Lyon, there is no time for pursuing personal milestones.[LNB]So, as one of the more senior and experienced members of Rafa Benitez's squad, Kuyt faced the media here in Lyon ahead of game Liverpool simply must win and made the most of his opportunity to issue a call to arms.[LNB]While recognising how poor results have been during the autumn from hell, the measured way Kuyt spoke suggested there is no panic in the dressing room, even if the stakes could not be any higher.
