How Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard helped start Bolton midfielder's career ahead of Aston Villa

MJ Williams is looking forward to taking on Aston Villa managed by 'hero ' Steven Gerrard when Bolton Wanderers take on the Villans in the Carabao Cup as he reflected on the lessons he took away from training with the Liverpool legend.

Wanderers host the Premier League side at the University of Bolton Stadium with a place in the third round up for grabs. The reward for victory in the televised clash could be facing a top flight team involved in European competitions such as Liverpool or Manchester City.

Like Bolton, Villa go into the game on the back of a defeat. Gerrard's side suffered a 3-1 loss at the hands of Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday, which leaves them 13th in the Premier League table.

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Midfielder Williams came through the youth team ranks at the Anfield side, making one appearance for the club in 2014 in a League Cup clash against Middlesborough. The midfielder trained with the former England captain towards the end of his career.

Williams discussed the impact of Gerrard on his career and what he and the younger players took away from training with the Anfield legend. He pinpointed the standards set by Gerrard as one of the biggests things he took away from his experiences alongside him on Merseyside which he has taken with him to Wanderers.

Williams said: “He was my hero growing up. I have seen some special goals that he scored and he has given us some special nights – especially in the Champions League – and it’ll be an honour to play against his team.

“Spending time with him when I first started out with the Liverpool first team you could tell how clever he was on football. Seeing him