Steven Gerrard: Liverpool is the right place for me to win trophies

Mar 4 2008 by Richard Williamson, Liverpool Daily Post

Steven Gerrard celebrates

STEVEN GERRARD insists he is at the right club to fulfil his ambitions of winning more trophies – including the Premier League title.

The Liverpool skipper says he is hungrier than ever for success and still believes Rafael Benitez is the man to deliver more silverware to Anfield.

The England international said he would be delighted if the club can repeat their Istanbul heroics and lift the Champions League trophy again, but admitted the team’s league form would continue to be a worry if they did not get closer to challenging for the title.

Gerrrad, who can lead his side back into the fourth Champions League spot with victory over West Ham at Anfield tomorrow, believes the squad is getting stronger each year and will help him fulfil his trophy goals.

“I am hungry for trophies – even more than when I was younger” he said. “Maybe it’s because I’m running out of time a bit! I’m 27 and want to make the most of my career and be as successful as I can. I think I am at the right club to do that because we’ve got a good squad and we are improv-ing all the time. And we’ve got a good manager, so I’m really confident I can lift many more trophies here – and not just the Champions League.”

Gerrard feels the squad has an exciting blend of youth and experience and that the new arrivals are starting to make their presence felt.

“The future’s bright,” he declared. “We’ve got a good, young squad, but there’s also a lot of experienced players like Carragher and Hyypia. The signings that have been made are making an impact, so I’ve got confidence that we can go forward.

“The important thing short-term is to get in that fourth position, then we can re-group in the summer and have another go at winning the league.

“The players here know we’ve underachieved in the league this year.

“You go back to before the Villa game and we believed we could still be in the title race. That’s disappointing but now we’ve got to finish as high as possible this year and have another go next season.”

And Gerrard is confident that Liverpool have the quality needed to deliver a Champions League place, despite the pressure coming from neighbours Everton and Aston Villa.

“The fight for Champions League places is hotting up, with the teams around us hitting form: the likes of your Villas and, obviously, Everton,” he said. “It’s important that we focus on what we’re doing and try to stay consistent until the end of the season. We’re confident that if we play to our capabilities between now and the end of the season we’ll take that fourth spot.

“Confidence is high at the moment but if we don’t now go and beat West Ham, the Bolton result becomes irrelevant.”

The prospect of a third Champions League final in the space of four years remains a tantalising prospect after Liverpool earned a two goal advantage from their first leg meeting with Inter Milan in the last 16 of this year’s competition. But Gerrard will be urging his teammates not to get distracted by that prospect with vital league matches still be played before the second leg.

“As a footballer you have to adapt,” he said. “After that victory it was important to switch back to league mode and try to get into the top four. What’s important is that getting fourth is in our own hands, though we can’t afford any slip ups between now and the end of the season. “There won’t be anyone happier in Liverpool than me if we do win the Champions League again.

“Istanbul was the best night of my football career and if we go on to achieve that again it will be right up there with that.

“But, because we’re Liverpool Football Club, even if we do win it, we’ll still worry about and try to improve our league form. We are winners and we want to try to win every competition we are in. Even if we do win the Champions League and finish fourth, we’ll still look to improve in the league.”