HE has made 533 appearances for Liverpool and scored 133 goals, he has 85 England caps and a trophy cabinet bursting at the seams. But when Roy Hodgson walked into Melwood for the first time, Steven Gerrard felt like he was starting over.

“When you are captain of Liverpool, every single day you have got something to prove,” Gerrard pointed out. “When you have a new manager and new players coming in, the demands on you to prove yourself intensify.

“Jamie Carragher, Pepe Reina and Fernando Torres are the same. At Liverpool Football Club there is no time to relax. You are expected to win every game you play and perform to your maximum every time you pull on a Red shirt.”

Reinvigorated and ready for the battles that lie ahead, there is no disguising the optimism and energy Gerrard harbours.

Compared to how he felt as he trudged off the pitch when last season closed with a dismal 0-0 draw at already relegated Hull City, the difference is total and it augurs well for Liverpool that he has the bit between his teeth.

Not that it ever slipped during Rafa Benitez’s final campaign. Think back to games at Birmingham, Burnley and Hull and you will remember Gerrard doing all he could and more besides to try and help Liverpool salvage an uncompromising position.

But, clearly, Hodgson’s arrival has put everyone on their toes. Gerrard’s standing in the game might be assured but it is only like that because he has constantly tried to better himself or never taken anything for granted.

He wants to show last year’s form to be a temporary drop in his sky high standards and if his commanding performance for England at Wembley on Wednesday night is any guide, the 30-year-old will be swiftly righting those wrongs.