Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has said he is "desperate" for Aston Villa's Gareth Barry to join him at Anfield.

Barry is in the middle of a tug-of-war between the two clubs after Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez went public on his interest and Villa's Martin O'Neill rejected a cash-plus-player bid for his skipper.

"I want Gareth Barry to become a Liverpool player," Gerrard said of his good friend and England midfield partner. "He's a good player. I want Liverpool to be as strong as possible and Gareth Barry will certainly make us stronger."

Barry, 27, has two years left on his contract but, after a decade at Villa Park, the lure of Champions League football could be too much to resist.

"I think Gareth is 27 now and he needs to play Champions League football," Gerrard continued. "In my opinion, he needs that now."

Under O'Neill, Villa have risen to sixth place and with the cash of new owner Randy Lerner are planning to challenge the established top four of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.

And with Barry one of the Northern Irish tactician's key players, O'Neill reacted furiously to what he views as Liverpool's attempts to unsettle the man Benitez wants to replace Spain-bound Xabi Alonso.

"We can't be disrespectful to Villa," Gerrard added of the already tense situation between the clubs.

"He is still their player and we will see what happens. Naturally, they are going to try and keep hold of him, and rightly so because he is one of their star men."

The former Brighton and Hove Albion trainee has been at the midlands club since the age of 16 and, after years of being switched across defence and midfield, the left-sided player has emerged as one of the best central midfielders in the Premier League.

"He has been a fantastic servant for them over many years," Liverpool's talismanic playmaker admitted of Barry, who is due a testimonial after playing for more than ten years at the Birmingham side.

"I am good friends with him off the pitch and I am desperate for us to sign him."

Reda Maher / Eurosport