LIVERPOOL appear in the city of arguably their greatest triumph tonight. But rather than remembering the past, it’s with their gaze firmly fixed on the future that Kenny Dalglish’s side continue their pre-season in Istanbul.

The Anfield outfit take on Galatasaray in the impressive new Turk Telekom Arena hoping to drag their preparations back on track following Saturday’s debacle at Hull City.

On a dismal afternoon on Humberside, Liverpool’s ongoing squad shortcomings were painfully exposed as his fringe players did little to disprove the theory Dalglish has plenty of deadwood that can be chopped from his bulging roster.

A 3-0 defeat, and the subsequent navel-gazing and retrospection, means that, while still only a friendly, this evening’s fixture in Turkey will be given significantly more resonance than it may have barely a week ago.

Amid the gloom of the KC Stadium, there was at least the positive of finally seeing new boys Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson pull on a Liverpool shirt for the first time since their expensive summer arrivals.

And despite being only 14 years old when the Anfield outfit defied the odds to beat AC Milan and lift the Champions League at the Ataturk Stadium in 2005, Henderson is well aware of the historical significance of this journey.

“I was just in the house with some friends watching the final,” says the former Sunderland midfielder. “It’s one of the best games I’ve ever seen.

“It was a brilliant game to watch. There were a lot of ups and downs for the fans, but as a spectator it was a fantastic game and I was over the moon when Liverpool won it in the end.

“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It just shows with team spirit and togetherness what you can achieve.”

Henderson adds: “I’m looking forward to Galatasaray. It will be a great game.

“It’ll be tough, but a good match for us to prepare for the start of the season by working on a few things, gelling as a team and getting a little bit more used to each other.”

Henderson signed in at Anfield almost seven weeks ago, but was forced to wait until the weekend to make his bow having been given extended leave following his participation with England in last month’s UEFA European Under-21 Championships.

“I enjoyed the break,” he says. “It was good to have a little rest, but as soon as it was over I was champing at the bit to get involved and start training again.

“Training is pretty tough, but I suppose it’ll be tough in pre-season wherever you go. I’ve enjoyed it, though, and it’s been good. We’ve had some good sessions and I just want to carry on doing what we’ve been doing.

“It was good to get out there and start playing again at Hull, especially with being new to the club. Although there was disappointment at the result, I think we can take a few positives from the game and learn from it.

“I’ve only been back in training for a week or two, so I’m just trying to get my fitness levels as high as possible. I’m looking forward to the season and can’t wait for it to get underway.”