Villa boss Gerard Houllier has taken the first steps on his return to managing the club but has been warned to “stay away” from their last game of the season.

Houllier, who is recuperating from heart problems, has been up at the club’s Bodymoor Heath training ground this week to offer his tactical insight to assistant manager Gary McAllister ahead of Sunday’s match against Liverpool.

There is a growing feeling that the 63-year-old Frenchman will be able to resume his duties with the club – albeit with a reduced workload – although Houllier’s wife Isabelle will play a big part in the final decision.

It had been mooted that Houllier would be in the directors box for the game against his former club, but first-team coach Gordan Cowans feels the emotion of the occasion could set him back a bit.

Cowans said: “I think he’d love to be there, but I think if he’s sensible he’d stay away. I think it’s probably too soon. I’d hate him to get there and be too worked up.

“Obviously with it being Liverpool there will be that bit more call for him to want to be there, but I think he’ll do the sensible thing and stay away.

“We all expect him 100 per cent to come back. He’s in really good nick at the moment. He’s improving as the days go by and he’s got the time to make that improvement.

“He’s feeling fantastic at the moment. He looks very well. He came around on Tuesday, we had a chat then and we saw him again on Wednesday and he looked very well.

“Gerard looked very well. He was in good form and having a laugh and a joke. He’s very positive.”

Cowans also admitted that Houllier’s time away from the club has reminded everyone just how passionate he is for success at Villa.

He said: “He’s always on the phone, he can’t leave it alone. He’s that sort of person, he loves football, he lives for football.

“He wants to know how the training sessions have gone, how the lads are. He still has an input in the team, he speaks to Gary McAllister every day and they discuss what they’re going to do.

“Sometimes you would call him up on the night and he’ll still be here at the training ground 9 or 10 at night and he’s putting everything into it.”