Soccer: Stevie G must bypass his biggest fan

In Chris Birchall's family household, they speak reverentially of "Stevie G". If the fervent hopes of this Liverpool-mad enclave in Staffordshire are fulfilled, "Chrissy B" might end up regarded with reciprocal respect in the Gerrard home after the World Cup.

Gerrard is Birchall's hero. But one plays in the Premiership, the other in League One. The chances of their tangling were remote until the Port Vale winger became the first white man in 60 years to be chosen for Trinidad and Tobago, helped them into the finals and became earmarked to play against the England midfielder on June 15.

Birchall, 21, Stafford-born but eligible for Trinidad and Tobago because his mother was born in Port of Spain, is more accustomed to facing Milton Keynes Dons in front of 4000 people than England before a worldwide TV audience in the millions.

"I'm not a guy who suffers from nerves," he said. "But maybe I will that day because there will be 50,000 there and I'll be playing against people who are my idols."

Birchall was raised a Red by a Liverpudlian father and his focus at Anfield is invariably Gerrard.

"Stevie G has been a class act these past three or four years and on any other day, I'd be supporting him," Birchall said. "But in Nuremberg, I'll be trying to win the ball from him and going in for some hard tackles, because that's the kind of player he is. I like the tough challenges and reputations won't mean anything.

"I watch him week in, week out. He's in central midfield, where I've played the past year for Trinidad. The moment the draw was made, I knew that if I was in the team, he was the one I'd probably be up against.

"We had a match in Trinidad when Liverpool played West Ham in the FA Cup final. But I saw the highlights and, of course, he scored two magnificent goals. Hopefully, he'll be shooting wide when we play England.

"Gerrard and [Frank] Lampard have been the two best midfielders in Europe this year. They're the ones you have to compete against if you want to be at the top."

Like any self-respecting footballer, Birchall would love to pit himself against such players on a regular basis. "It would be hard to leave Vale because I've been there since I was a little kid. But if you play well in the world's biggest competition, clubs are going to come after you."

Trinidad and Tobago are cast as the makeweights of Group B, which also includes Sweden and Paraguay. Birchall insists Leo Beenhakker's team do not see it that way.

"For the fans, a successful World Cup would perhaps be one win, or just playing well. For us, it will be getting to the second round."

Whatever their fate, Birchall will always feel at least half Trinidadian. "The only thing I was bothered about when I went over was how the supporters and players would take to me.

"They've been unbelievable. Some of my best mates are here, people like Kelvin Jack and Dwight Yorke, who has taken me under his wing. They've made me feel so welcome, I'm confident I can go out and play well."

- INDEPENDENT