KUYT HAILS SPIRIT AFTER TORRES BLOW

Dirk Kuyt paid tribute to Liverpool's fighting spirit after they overcame the loss of 'one of the best players in the world' to secure a hard-fought draw at Aston Villa.

The Dutch forward admits it was disappointing to see Fernando Torres limp off after just 30 minutes of Sunday's stalemate at Villa Park, but feels the Reds responded in the right manner to ensure they maintained their unbeaten start to the Barclays Premier League season. "We did not create as much as we would have liked but we were very solid in defence and everyone worked really hard to make sure we came away with something," he said. "Of course it was a big blow to lose Fernando so early on because everyone knows how important he is to us. "He is one of the best players in the world so you are always going to suffer if he has to leave the field. But after Fernando went off we regrouped and showed a lot of character and I think we deserved a draw. "It was always going to be difficult because Aston Villa are a good team and they are always tough opponents on their own ground."