Villa and Liverpool came together today to wish Gerard Houllier a speedy recovery.

The 63-year-old Frenchman was admitted to Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth hospital last night, and is described by doctors as being “comfortable.”

Houllier’s assistant Gary McAllister has been confirmed as taking charge for Saturday’s home match against Stoke.

The Villa boss has a history of heart trouble which left him seriously ill in October 2001 when he managed Liverpool.

Dr Mark Waller, who was with Houllier when he had his heart problems a decade ago, is with him again now.

Villa’s club ambassador and Holte End hero Ian Taylor said today: “It came as a bit of a shock to everyone and I’m sure the Villa supporters and everyone in football wish Gerard a speedy recovery and hopefully we will see him back in the dugout soon.

“The majority of the preparation work for Stoke game will already have been done by this stage, so I’m sure it will only be a matter of fine-tuning and Gary McAllister will take care of that.

“Knowing Gerard, he will probably want to be trying to manage the team from his hospital bed and be on the phone to Gary and the rest of the backroom staff.

“Undoubtedly it will have affected the squad, but something like this can often galvanise the players and brings everyone at the club closer together.”

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish today sent the best wishes of everybody at Anfield to Houllier.

Dalglish said: “Of course our thoughts are with him. We don’t know too much about it and there is no point in us being speculative. We wish him well and I’m sure he is in the best possible hands.

“Doc Waller is there, who was the club doctor here when Gerard fell ill in 2001, so he’s got a good guy beside him and I’m sure the people there will do everything they can to help.

“We send him our best wishes.”

Asked about the pressures facing a modern-day manager, Dalglish added: “There’s pressure on everybody in any walk of life.

“Different people deal with pressures in different way. Each one as an individual will find his own little niche to combat it.

“It’s up to the individual.”