Dean Windass says he has great respect for Liverpool - but insists City fancy their chances of beating them at Valley Parade.

The 31-year-old striker-cum-midfield player said: "We respect Liverpool for what they are and what they have got, but as far as we are concerned Sunday's game is all about Bradford City and what we need to do.

"We fancy our chances against anyone at home, this is a must win game and everyone has got to be on their game."

Windass is City's top scorer with ten goals, one of the best of them against Liverpool at Anfield last November.

And how he would love to score against them again.

His goal that put City in front in the live Sky TV match last November was a superb effort and is frequently shown on TV, but unfortunately for Windass and his team-mates it was not enough to win the match and Liverpool came back to win 3-1.

"I hit the ball into the top corner," he said. "It was a brilliant goal."

Although City lost, they will take encouragement from that performance which won them a host of admirers.

Windass gave City the lead after ten minutes and who knows what the outcome might have been if Neil Redfearn had not wasted a good chance to make it 2-0 two minutes later?

"We played well that night," he said. "If Neil Redfearn had scored it might have been a different game, but it was not to be.

Windass makes no secret of his admiration for Liverpool and all their fine traditions and respects the work that manager Gerard Houlier has done at Anfield.

"Gerard Houlier has got a good squad together and I think next season they will be pushing for the title. No matter what team they play they are all good players.

"Everyone knows what is at stake and we have just got to concentrate on getting the result we need."

The fact that Leeds United dropped two points at home to Everton in Monday's 1-1 draw has revived Liverpool's Champions League prospects which should make for a terrific contest between two sides with so much to play for.

Whatever the outcome tomorrow, Windass can look back on a fine season.

He joined City from Oxford three weeks before last season's transfer deadline in a deal that rose from £950,000 to £1 million when City won promotion to the Premiership.

He has proved to be a valuable signing, figuring in every match this season apart from two when he came off the substitutes' bench.

His natural position is striker, but City manager Paul Jewell has used him mainly in midfield.

He said: "I prefer to play up front, you cannot beat scoring goals. But I give 100 per cent wherever I play.

"Stuart McCall and John Dreyer sit in midfield, allowing me to go bombing forward and that is how I scored my hat-trick against Derby.

"It was a proud moment to score a hat-trick, but if we could have won instead of drawing the match it would have been all over now.

"I have enjoyed the season and I am delighted to have reached a double figure number of goals in the Premiership.

"Everything has gone well for me although I found it hard having to play on the right when Jamie Lawrence was injured when I am not a winger. All the players have found it difficult playing on the right."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.