FOR Paul Anderson, the dream is still the same as the day he arrived at Liverpool's famous Anfield home.
Spotted playing for Hull reserves, the Premiership giants swooped for his signature as a 17-year-old back in January 2006.
But, as yet, he is still to make his debut for Rafa Benitez's side.
He won the FA Youth Cup in a Liverpool shirt before his first season in senior football saw him the lift the League One title while on loan at Swansea last May.
The reward, a contract extension at Anfield until the summer of 2011.
His next move was to test himself in the Championship and he chose a season-long stint at Nottingham Forest, close to Melton Mowbray where his family still live.
But after years of playing in winning sides, he has found himself part of a squad battling at the wrong end of the table and facing a must-win game against Coventry City at the City Ground this afternoon
Colin Calderwood, the manager who brought him to the City Ground, was sacked on Boxing Day. Now Anderson is plying his trade under Billy Davies.
And a serious thigh injury kept him out until October before a near month lay-off followed at the start of this year when he broke his arm against Derby County.
But despite suffering the lows of a professional footballer at Forest, he insists he would not swap it for the world.
And he believes it has made him mentally stronger and a better player. In the long run, he hopes it will be the making of him in earning that long-awaited Liverpool debut.
The level-headed 20-year-old said: "Not being big-headed but I have never been in a team that has struggled.
"When I was at Hull we won the reserve league, while at Liverpool we won the Youth Cup and last season we won League One with Swansea.
"Three seasons in a row I had three successful seasons so to come here is a completely different pressure, being down at the bottom.
"Mentally it has made me so much stronger. You are always going to have highs and lows in football and getting a couple of injuries with my thigh and arm as well.
"This season has been the best season for me in learning and my education.
"You have to be a lot closer as a squad when you are fighting against relegation.
"Going for promotion, everyone is behind you, everyone loves you.
"When you are down at the bottom people get against you, other teams come here thinking it is only Nottingham Forest, we will be all right.
"We will go out and prove we are good enough and next season push on, onwards and upwards.
"It is weird coming in on loans under his (Calderwood's) plans and then he goes and somebody else comes in with different ways.
"In a way, me being selfish, it has been good because I have had three different ways of management in two seasons. For me it has been a tremendous learning curve."
Before his stint at Forest, Anderson played under Roberto Martinez at Swansea and with both clubs, he has now made 65 appearances and scored 12 goals in the last two seasons. While he is envious of some Liverpool players who have made a couple of appearances for the first team, he says his experience on loan has been vital in his development.
"I have played a lot of games which is good and I would never change coming out on loan," he said.
"I see a couple of lads getting games for Liverpool, playing in the Champions League and I am gutted because at the end of the day my dream is to play for Liverpool and they have done it.
"But I would not change my near 70 games for two games for Liverpool. This is so much better for me.
"Go out on loan, play football and some people say 'wouldn't you rather be at the bigger team' but I want to play football."
And he was pleasantly surprised by the standard of football when he first went out on loan.
He added: "I did not realise how big League One was.
"At Liverpool in the reserves you wonder what the standard will be like. But it was so high, so when you go back and train with the reserves the tempo is not the same.
"You go out on loan in League One and you have guys trying to get bonus money for their families.
"Some of them are not on massive money and these win bonuses and goal bonuses they need, it makes a difference.
"When you go to the lower leagues the money is not there.
"The difference with the Championship this season is that bit more quality and everyone is an athlete."
So what about Liverpool?
While he wants to make his bow there as soon as possible, he has channelled all his thoughts into helping Nottingham Forest stay up.
And he has not ruled out an extended stay beyond this season, if Forest wanted to make his deal longer.
"At present I have no reason to go up to Liverpool," he said. "All my family live down here and I have been up once (this season).
"I speak to a few of the young lads there and obviously I speak to the scouts and whoever is in and around the main man.
"I try to keep my nose in there but it is my job to be here and help Nottingham Forest to stay up so I have no reason to keep in contact with Liverpool.
"I have two years left and that is the long-term goal.
"Anyone else would be exactly the same. Liverpool are second in the league and you never know, hopefully I can go and perform and they will want to do something with me.
"If not we will see what else is out there. I have to speak to Liverpool at the end of the season, see what Liverpool want and where we are here and what options there are.
"I have enjoyed my time recently and feel I have just been getting into playing good football. So we will see.
"But like anyone my dream is to play for Liverpool."
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