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WREXHAM centre-back Dennis Lawrence is preparing to take on another of the game's biggest names after returning from his World Cup tussle with the England strike force.


Lawrence and the his Trinidadian team-mates kept England at bay for 83 minutes before Peter Crouch gave Sven Goran Eriksson's team the lead.

And Lawrence will face Liverpool's new Welsh ace Craig Bellamy when the Red Dragons meet the Anfield club in a pre-season friendly at the Racecourse today.

But the 6ft 7ins Lawrence will not resume his tussle with Crouch, who, like the rest of Liverpool's World Cup contingent, doesn't report back for training until next week.

After coming so close to silencing the likes of Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, Lawrence will not be fazed by the prospect of locking horns with the lightning-quick Bellamy.

Though World Cup debutants Trinidad & Tobago failed to score in Germany, they featured in one of the competition's biggest upsets when they held Sweden to a 0-0 draw.

Substitute goalkeeper Shaka Hislop pulled off a string of impressive second-half saves to deny the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrik Larsson.

Wrexham manager Denis Smith said Lawrence's World Cup displays show he is more than capable of competing with the best Liverpool have to offer.

The Wrexham boss said, though the game is a friendly, every player will be looking to set down a marker for the new season.

"They'll be giving as much as they can. The start of the season is not far away so they will all be going for it."

Smith believes Bellamy's electric pace and strong goalscoring form for Blackburn last season can make the 27-year-old a huge hit at Anfield.

The player arrives at Liverpool with a chequered past, having left Newcastle United when the club's former manager Graeme Souness accused him of feigning injury after being asked to play in a different position.

But Smith believes the player will know that a manager like Rafael Benitez will not tolerate out-of-control egos.

He said, "He's going into a club where they won't stand for any nonsense and he's bright enough to know he's got to grow up.

"When you sign players you have to decide whether their talent is enough to carry them. If their talent is that good, you just deal with the other part of it the best way you can."

But the Wrexham boss said though questions may have been raised about this temperament there is no doubting the player's ability.

"Bellamy is a nightmare for defenders because he wanders off your shoulder and gets in behind you and he can finish.

"He never stops making runs and it's like he's got two sets of lungs. He's a great signing."

Smith believes the signing of Bellamy and Chilean winger Mark Gonzales will enable the Anfield club to consolidate their position in the top four.

"They're going to be in the top four, but getting close to Chelsea is the problem. But Chelsea might get injuries.

"They got through last season without their goalkeeper (Carlo Cudicini), John Terry and Frank Lampard picking up any injuries.

"If those three go out for a long time, it might not be so easy for them."