Aston Villa defender Martin Laursen hopes fans won't be too hard on Gareth Barry if he is in the Liverpool side that visits Villa Park on August 30.

The Villa defender believes fans should remember all the good times and great performances 27-year-old Barry has turned in during ten years at Villa Park, rather than the fact that his head was turned by the lure of Champions League football.

Barry’s impending transfer is still not cut and dried with Villa continuing to haggle over the price for a player that they really don’t want to sell, but even manager Martin O’Neill conceded that a deal looks to be on the cards within a matter of days, with Liverpool rumoured to be contemplating another bid.

Denmark international Laursen realises Villa fans are far from happy but believes Barry does not deserve to suffer at the hands of the boo-boys. He said: “Gareth going is a big loss but there are other good players that can do as good a job. I am sure we can bring in a player that is as good.

“He has done brilliantly for the last two years. That is why his price is higher now. I am sad the fans are angry with him now because they have to remember how much he has done for the club.

“We play Liverpool here in our second home game and I hope the fans forgive him by then. I understand the fans want to keep their best players but I also hope they can remember what Gareth has done for this club. We are talking about a guy who has been here for ten years, played over 300 games, was the youngest in the Premier League to play 300.

Laursen has struggled with injuries in the past two seasons but says he is at the peak of fitness now and ready for Wednesday's encounter with FC Wil 1900 in a friendly in Switzerland as part of a two-match training camp.

The central defender said: “I would like to play as many games as last season and be fit but the important thing is to stay at the top because I haven’t been fit enough during my four years here.

“How I play is important but I would like to make the quantity important as well. I need to play as often as possible.”

As Laursen prepares to kickstart his 2008-9 campaign, he cannot ignore those who are touting him as a potential replacement for Barry as captain. He said: “I would be proud to be captain but the important thing for me is to stay fit.”