Baros had scored a couple of goals in earlier friendlies and took over from Michael Owen with 30 minutes left of Tuesday’s 1-0 friendly defeat by Lazio to give the Liverpool fans a glimpse of his talent.

Houllier describes Baros’ dramatic change as ‘‘like having a different player,’’ and it is clear the former Banik Ostrava player needed to shape up.

After a protracted work permit wrangle last term, he finally became a Liverpool player in December, but then sunk without trace in Houllier’s squad.

He had just one chance as a late substitute in the Champions League in Barcelona in March and never got a sniff of a league run-out. He spent most of the final months of the run-in to the Premiership second spot watching from the back of the Liverpool directors’ box.

But it is clear he has wised up, having arrived from the Czech Republic with a reputation in his homeland for a quick-fire temperament that saw him sent off playing for his country last term.

Now it seems Houllier has knocked him into shape. The French coach says: ‘‘He has come back pre-season having lost several kilos in weight. There has been a dramatic improvement in Milan.

‘‘He is looking a different player and has already scored a couple of goals in pre-season.’’

Baros came on for his first taste of the Anfield atmosphere with Lazio ahead and Liverpool needing to do something to save face.

The fact that he produced one stunning run, jink and clever footwork before being tripped from behind after rounding the keeper, not seen as a penalty by referee Mark Halsey, gave a taste to the fans of what Houllier now sees in the once chunky but now lean and mean youngster.

Houllier said: ‘‘He’s like having a new signing. He’s much sharper and a different player, very strong.

‘‘He will play a part in our games. He played in our first friendly against Le Havre and scored, he also scored in a training match against a Swiss team.

‘‘Milan had some terrific runs, he gave some depth to our game and he was a real threat to the opposition. And he ‘made’ a penalty, it was down to him because he created that chance from nothing.’’

Liverpool now go to Spain at the weekend to play Real Madrid on Friday and Bayern Munich on Sunday, and both Steven Gerrard and Emile Heskey - who have missed recent games with muscle and hamstring injuries respectively - will travel.

Gerrard, claims Houllier, will probably be fit to face the Germans and be ready for the Charity Shield in Cardiff against Arsenal the following weekend.

Finnish star Jari Litmanen is suffering from a knee injury and will be out for a fortnight.