Dirk Kuyt played the full 90 minutes of Holland’s draw in Pescara, and came close to breaking the deadlock in the first half.

While Steven Gerrard and Glen Johnson were continuing their rehabilitation on Merseyside, Liverpool’s only representative at the glamour friendly between Brazil and England in Doha on Saturday was Lucas.

The midfielder was an unused substitute in his country’s 1-0 win, but has seen his stock rise with some impressive performances for Liverpool this season.

And Lucas is intent on following in the footsteps of a family member by booking his ticket on the plane to South Africa next summer.

“I need to have a great season because of Brazil,” he said.

“The World Cup is around the corner and I want to be part of it.

“For my family it’s a bit more special as my uncle, Leivinha, was in the Brazil squad for Germany in 1974 and I want to emulate him.”

Lucas added: “I have to be more versatile at Liverpool because sometimes I will need to play alongside Javier Mascherano and other times with Steven Gerrard, which will demand a different tactical role for me.

“But I already believe I’ve proved to Liverpool fans that I’m willing to sweat blood for this club and to try and make the crowd happy.”