ROY HODGSON says he will ‘fight tooth and nail’ to keep Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres at Anfield.

After being unveiled yesterday, the new Liverpool manager immediately set about the task of trying to persuade the club’s top players to work under him.

There has been growing speculation regarding the futures of Gerrard and Torres, while Javier Mascherano and Yossi Benayoun are also said to be unsettled at the club.

Hodgson revealed that Gerrard has already contacted him to congratulate him on his Anfield appointment. And the former Fulham manager had a face-to-face meeting with the club captain and Jamie Carragher last night in which he outlined his plans to take the club forward.

Chairman Martin Broughton insisted yesterday that neither Torres or Gerrard are for sale and that Liverpool do not need to sell off its main assets to alleviate the debt placed on the club.

Hodgson confirmed he will now speak to Torres and Mascherano – plus all other members of the senior squad on World Cup duty – by telephone.

First, though, he has told Gerrard of the key role the midfielder plays in his plans.

“He (Gerrard) will know as well as I do that actions speak louder than words,” said Hodgson.

“He wants to see the club is going to make strides forward and that alongside his quality there will be other players of that quality being brought to the club.

“He’s also wise enough to know we can’t give him that guarantee and wouldn’t respect me if I was trying to spin him some line that he would see straight through.

“My job with him is to try and explain that I’ve come to Liverpool because I want to work with people like Steven Gerrard.

“I’m hoping he will have enough loyalty to the club and he will be interested enough to give it some time together.

“It’s just a question of trying to sell myself to him and what we’re planning to do and hope he buys into it.

“The same applies to Fernando Torres, Javier Mascherano or anyone else.

“But we will fight tooth and nail to keep our best players. You’ve heard the chairman say today that they’re not for sale.”