Houllier taken off ventilator

Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier has been taken off the ventilator as his condition continues to improve, the club said this…

Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier has been taken off the ventilator as his condition continues to improve, the club said this morning.

Houllier, who underwent 11 hours of emergency open-heart surgery at the weekend, had a comfortable night at Liverpool's Broadgreen cardiothoracic unit and is now conscious and breathing unaided.

The 54-year-old Frenchman had complained of chest pains during the half time of Saturday's game with Leeds. Tests showed he was suffering from a condition known as dissection of the aorta and had not had a heart attack.

PA