Steven Gerrard was on fire in his 400th league
appearance on Tuesday. The Liverpool skipper was not only responsible for all
the goals that won the Merseyside derby for the Reds, but also became the first
Liverpool player to score a hat trick against Everton since the great Ian Rush
in 1982.
Stevie G's stellar performance prompted Pepe
Reina to call him an "inspiration." The 'keeper spoke to
Liverpoolfc.tv about the midfielder and the Merseyside derby, saying
"Stevie is always a key player for us. He is an inspiration, on and off
the pitch. He showed in the game he is fully fit now and he is coming back
strong.
"We all love playing against Everton because
they are special games. For local lads like Stevie, Spearo or Carra, those
games mean a lot - and the rest of us know how important they are for the
club."
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| One... |
Gerrard scored off his left foot in the 36,'
opening up the scoring and catching the normally composed Tim Howard off guard
with a composed shot.
Luis Suarez found himself at the assist on the
skipper's next two goals, the latter of
which was well into injury time, prompting further praise from Pepe:
"Credit to Stevie, he was really good. He was at his best once again and
fully deserved his hat-trick, although I would like to mention Luis, especially
for the third goal.
 |
| ... two... |
"Sometimes when a
striker is not scoring they can be a little bit selfish, but he was totally
unselfish in creating the goal."
 |
| ... three. Stevie G reminds us all why he's a hero with his Merseyside derby treble. |
Reina, like many a Red out there, thought LFC's
performance was vastly improved and well deserved the three points that brings
Liverpool 10 points away from a Top 4 finish, saying: "I am very happy. A
derby is a derby and a win means more than three points, especially for the
people out there [the fans].
"It was an outstanding performance and we
fully deserved the three points.
"I think we played really well. We
controlled the game, didn't concede and I think overall it was a very fair
result."
The Spain 'keeper also had his say on Liverpool's
chances of reaching Champion's League football next season, being 10 points
away from fourth place with 10 matches left to play in the Barclays Premier
League: "It's difficult. You have to be realistic, but we will fight
and we won't give up until the end.
"This team has got very strong character and
we will keep fighting, that's for sure."
On that note of pride and persistence, Reina will
be looking ahead towards Liverpool's FA Cup quarter-final match against Stoke
City at Anfield on Sunday. A win would provide Liverpool with a return to
Wembley for the semi-finals next month and the shot at another piece of
silverware, a prospect both fans and players are anxious for.
written by Yasmien Mizyed
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