World Club Championship: Dietmar Hamann returned to Yokohama still sporting an ugly gash on the inside of his right knee, courtesy of Michael Essien's spiteful plunging boot, though it is a mental scar he hopes to heal in Japan.

Three years ago in the stadium where Liverpool take on Deportivo Saprissa tomorrow, the German saw the World Cup slip through his fingers. "It'll be strange playing there again," said Hamann. "A lot of things will be in my mind."

Hamann has not played in Japan since the 2002 tournament in which Germany, unfancied before the finals, almost claimed football's ultimate prize.

The 32-year-old featured in all but one of his country's matches, missing only the second-round victory over Paraguay through suspension, before returning for the victories over the US and South Korea that carried them almost unobtrusively into the final. Brazil and Ronaldo, with a goal in each half, ended their challenge at the Yokohama international stadium, so the Fifa Club World Championship offers the opportunity to ease some of that pain.

"Japan has good and bad memories for me," admitted Hamann, who was rested against Middlesbrough at the weekend to speed his recovery from Essien's tackle. "The strange thing was that the final was probably when we played our best game of the whole tournament. We hit the post before Brazil scored, and it wasn't like we were beaten by a team that outplayed us . . . Everyone had the feeling if we had scored first we might have won it.

"Sitting in the dressingroom afterwards was bad, a bad feeling, but on the other hand, we had a big party because we'd had a terrific time there for six weeks and it was a big achievement to come second in the World Cup. It was a real mix of emotions. We were really down, but we did so well just to get to that stage."

Hamann has found himself on the outside looking in since Rudi Voller was replaced by Jurgen Klinsmann, with the new national team coach seemingly intent upon experimenting with younger midfielders, though the veteran remains available and is likely to feature at the finals in his homeland next summer.

While Hamann has his reasons to succeed in Japan, Liverpool's collective desire to claim the Toyota Cup appears just as keen. They can have been only encouraged by the mediocrity of the football on display in Monday's quarter-final match between Saprissa and Sydney FC, which the Costa Ricans won 1-0.

"There is no problem for us with motivation," said Hamann. "Liverpool have never won the trophy so we will be up for it and it would be a real honour for a club with such a long and proud history. We want to win it.

"This would be very special to us for a number of reasons. Firstly, it would mean we could call ourselves world champions, as all the best teams are there from the big cup competitions. Secondly, we want to win it for our continent."

The notion Europe might unite behind Liverpool's cause might be a little optimistic, although the Champions League winners are intent upon avoiding being the tall poppy all the others wish to knock down.

"We have to be on our guard," added Hamann, who has learned to live with life as a squad player. "We won't be complacent. We know we are favourites against Saprissa, but it doesn't mean we will have a lack of respect. It would be a big scalp for the other teams to beat Liverpool, but we are doing well at the moment.

"We are playing as a team and as a unit and I think that is the key. It is not just one player, the whole group is playing to a high standard every game. We trust each other and the confidence is better than it was a few weeks ago. We have to make sure we keep going. We are heading in the right direction, but we haven't done anything yet.

"I'm just happy to be involved. The manager said at the start of the season that he would need everyone. Some players play more than others, but he mentioned Vladimir Smicer, who didn't figure much last season and ended up scoring a goal in the Champions League final.

"I am someone who has been used to playing every week, but you cannot play in them all. You just have to get used to it and get on with it."

In Yokohama tomorrow, Hamann and Liverpool will attempt to do just that.