INTERNATIONAL WEEK, and the atmosphere at Liverpool's training complex on Wednesday is more restrained than usual. Certainly no home city tones of local pair, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher. Some, though, who perhaps should be away are no longer on their national coach's first-choice roster. Boudewijn Zenden, for one. He spies a newspaper photograph of his Liverpool teammate Dirk Kuyt and Chelsea midfielder Arjen Robben clad in orange. "Holland. . . they play Slovenia tonight?" he asks rhetorically, perhaps a touch wistfully.

The 30-year-old is stoical about his rejection by the current Dutch regime. "I haven't been there [on international duty] for almost three years now . . . since the new manager [Marco van Basten]. It comes with the territory."

There is no evidence that van Basten will restore former favourites. Zenden, whose club appearances have been limited by injuries recently, was not alone in the cull when the former striker took over. Patrick Kluivert, Clarence Seedorf, Edgar Davids and Roy Makaay were other victims. But Zenden has served his time with the international team and there are other priorities now. Not least Tuesday's quarter-final against PSV Eindhoven, the club where a boy from Maastricht first announced his potential at 13.

It was four years late that Zenden made his debut for PSV, before departing for Barcelona. Chelsea then signed him for �7.5 million, followed by Middlesbrough, initially on loan. There he won the Carling Cup. And finally, Liverpool, since 2005, during which time he has played in central midfield rather than on the left flank.

"Of course, the match means something extra for me, although we've played PSV already in the group stage this season, " he says.

"It's the first time in about eight years that I'd returned there with another team. It's something special. It was good to see everybody again."

That included his former teammate, the veteran midfielder Philip Cocu, who was at the Phillips Stadion at the start of his career, and who was also at Barcelona with him. "Philip didn't play in the game here or in Eindhoven, and he's a player that's very important for them, " says Zenden. "He's the type of player that maybe doesn't stand out. You don't think 'what an attractive player that is', like, say, a Ronaldinho, but he's one that makes the team tick and work."

"PSV is a special club, one that has done well despite selling good players, " Zenden adds. "They just keep bringing in new ones and keeping at more or less the same level.

Defensively, and attacking, they are a strong force."

However the absence of injured defender Alex, [who scored what proved to be the decisive goal in their win over Arsenal in the last round], according to Zenden, "will be a massive blow for PSV."

"Although they are a fantastic team, I don't think they quite have the depth quality-wise that, for example, Liverpool have, " he says.

Kuyt is a man who has contributed to Liverpool's attacking depth this year. "Even before he came here, I was saying he was a player who would do really well in England because of his style of play, " Zenden says. "He's a hard-working striker who goes into the channels and either scores or creates for someone else."

He adds: "For a very small country, we come up with some fairly good players, if I may say so. Maybe it's something to do with Dutch cool, or the way we work with our youngsters? Maybe that's why we are capable of producing all these players, because the set-up is quite professional at a young age."

Reports in Holland suggest Zenden will complete the circle in the summer by returning to PSV. "I'm 30, and I feel I've got a lot of years to go. I feel fit, I feel good, " he says.

"My contract is up in summer and we haven't discussed yet what will happen. I'm open to everything. But I'm a professional who wants to win things." For the moment, securing a Champions League winners' medal would suit rather nicely.