As Merseyside football braces itself for another showdown, one Liverpool player is preparing for a Cup derby of a different kind tonight.
Paul Anderson will step out for Nottingham Forest at Derby County in the other significant local spat in the FA Cup fourth round.
The 20-year-old has been earning rave reviews at the City Ground since signing on a season-long loan from Anfield in the summer.
After overcoming a thigh injury that delayed his debut until October, Anderson has been a regular starter, first under Colin Calderwood and then new manager Billy Davies, who assumed the reins earlier this month.
Anderson played the full 90 minutes of Forest’s shock 3-0 win at Manchester City in the third round, and was a goalscorer in Saturday’s 2-0 triumph over Plymouth that moved them clear of the relegation zone.
And Anderson says: “I’m really enjoying it at Forest and now I’m starting every game since coming back from injury. I can play on either wing but I’m on the right wing mainly.
“I think I’m doing all right at the moment but I don’t think I’m playing as well as I have been the last couple of years. I’m still getting my fitness back, but in terms of my ability I know I can do better.”
Of the City game, Anderson adds: “It was a great day. It was nice to beat a club from the Premier League and especially one that’s the richest club in the world.
“Playing against City was a great experience for me, because as a young player you want to impress against those kind of teams because that’s hopefully the level you will end up playing at. Now we’ve got Derby, and that will be an even bigger game for us.
“I’ve only been here a few months but I know all about how important this game is for our supporters. I played at Derby earlier in the season and the atmosphere was very hostile, their supporters were really against us.”
Having been signed by Liverpool from Hull City as a 17-year-old in January 2006, the nearest Anderson has come to a first-team appearance is as an unused substitute in the Champions League defeat at home to Benfica two months later.
The youngster spent last season on loan at Swansea City, helping the Welsh side to win the League One championship.
Swansea manager Roberto Martinez was keen to sign Anderson, but the player instead signed a new three-year contract at Liverpool.
“Liverpool told me to go and enjoy myself at Forest and play as well as I can and as often as I can,” Anderson says. “I know that they try and have me watched as often as possible to see how I’m getting on.
“I haven’t really had much contact with Liverpool this season. The main feedback I get from the club is through my agent, although I’ve had a couple of little of conversations with the club to see how I’m getting on.
“I hope that by the end of the season I have done enough so that when I come back to Liverpool I can get in and around the fringes of the first-team squad, but we’ll have to see.”
Anderson is one of several youngsters on loan from Liverpool, as Rafael Benitez looks to broaden the experience of his reserve and Academy players.
But the camaraderie between the budding stars is such that the winger has a frank admission to make.
“I didn’t actually watch the game against Everton on Monday, I chose to watch the Leicester game against Yeovil because I wanted to see how Jack Hobbs is playing,” says Anderson, who hails from Leicester.
“I obviously keep an eye out for Liverpool’s results as that’s where I want to be playing eventually, and they are doing well this season. But as long as we’re not training, I will try and watch the game on Sunday.”
Anderson adds: “It was weird watching the FA Cup draw, and how Liverpool and Everton were drawn together and Forest were then drawn with Derby. Those are two big games.
“Maybe some Liverpool fans might end up tuning in to watch the game on Friday to see how I’m getting on – that’s if they even know who I am!”
Paul Anderson will step out for Nottingham Forest at Derby County in the other significant local spat in the FA Cup fourth round.
The 20-year-old has been earning rave reviews at the City Ground since signing on a season-long loan from Anfield in the summer.
After overcoming a thigh injury that delayed his debut until October, Anderson has been a regular starter, first under Colin Calderwood and then new manager Billy Davies, who assumed the reins earlier this month.
Anderson played the full 90 minutes of Forest’s shock 3-0 win at Manchester City in the third round, and was a goalscorer in Saturday’s 2-0 triumph over Plymouth that moved them clear of the relegation zone.
And Anderson says: “I’m really enjoying it at Forest and now I’m starting every game since coming back from injury. I can play on either wing but I’m on the right wing mainly.
“I think I’m doing all right at the moment but I don’t think I’m playing as well as I have been the last couple of years. I’m still getting my fitness back, but in terms of my ability I know I can do better.”
Of the City game, Anderson adds: “It was a great day. It was nice to beat a club from the Premier League and especially one that’s the richest club in the world.
“Playing against City was a great experience for me, because as a young player you want to impress against those kind of teams because that’s hopefully the level you will end up playing at. Now we’ve got Derby, and that will be an even bigger game for us.
“I’ve only been here a few months but I know all about how important this game is for our supporters. I played at Derby earlier in the season and the atmosphere was very hostile, their supporters were really against us.”
Having been signed by Liverpool from Hull City as a 17-year-old in January 2006, the nearest Anderson has come to a first-team appearance is as an unused substitute in the Champions League defeat at home to Benfica two months later.
The youngster spent last season on loan at Swansea City, helping the Welsh side to win the League One championship.
Swansea manager Roberto Martinez was keen to sign Anderson, but the player instead signed a new three-year contract at Liverpool.
“Liverpool told me to go and enjoy myself at Forest and play as well as I can and as often as I can,” Anderson says. “I know that they try and have me watched as often as possible to see how I’m getting on.
“I haven’t really had much contact with Liverpool this season. The main feedback I get from the club is through my agent, although I’ve had a couple of little of conversations with the club to see how I’m getting on.
“I hope that by the end of the season I have done enough so that when I come back to Liverpool I can get in and around the fringes of the first-team squad, but we’ll have to see.”
Anderson is one of several youngsters on loan from Liverpool, as Rafael Benitez looks to broaden the experience of his reserve and Academy players.
But the camaraderie between the budding stars is such that the winger has a frank admission to make.
“I didn’t actually watch the game against Everton on Monday, I chose to watch the Leicester game against Yeovil because I wanted to see how Jack Hobbs is playing,” says Anderson, who hails from Leicester.
“I obviously keep an eye out for Liverpool’s results as that’s where I want to be playing eventually, and they are doing well this season. But as long as we’re not training, I will try and watch the game on Sunday.”
Anderson adds: “It was weird watching the FA Cup draw, and how Liverpool and Everton were drawn together and Forest were then drawn with Derby. Those are two big games.
“Maybe some Liverpool fans might end up tuning in to watch the game on Friday to see how I’m getting on – that’s if they even know who I am!”
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