Gerrard sets sights on Premiership title

STEVEN GERRARD has set his sights on Premiership glory after winning back his place in the hearts of Liverpool fans.

The Reds skipper helped the European champions to a 4-3 friendly victory at Wrexham on Saturday to end the most turbulent week of his life on a high.

The 25-year-old had indicated on Tuesday the time was right to quit Anfield, prompting angry supporters to burn a replica Gerrard shirt.

Having spent a sleepless night at his home agonising over leaving his boyhood club, Gerrard performed an astonishing U-turn in the early hours of Wednesday by deciding to remain a Liverpool player.

Significantly, the rapturous reception he received from Reds fans at Wrexham suggested his subsequent signature on a four-year £100,000-a-week contract has won the Kop back round.

And with that in mind, Gerrard has now set his sights on capturing the only major trophy to so far elude him.

"It was great to get the shirt back on and hopefully in the coming season I can hit top form and deliver a trophy," he said.

"Hopefully I can go on and win that medal that I'm craving, which is the Premiership, because that's the one I'm missing.

"Hopefully it will be this year, but if not it will happen in the four years that I've signed for," he said.

Gerrard was left confused and depressed over the prospect of ending his 17-year association with the club. However, he insists he has no regrets about turning down the opportunity of a possible defection to Chelsea for the second time in 12 months.

"I feel as though I've made the right decision," he said. "It doesn't need me to say how tough it's been you've seen it all yourself and what's been said in the papers with all the contract situation.

"It hasn't been good. I enjoy playing football, but I haven't enjoyed all the stuff that has been happening over the past week.

"I want to put it all behind me now and forget about it."

The England midfielder admitted the failure to sign a new deal in the immediate aftermath of the club's Champions League victory in Istanbul served to fuel speculation he could leave Anfield.

"The speculation never went away because I had two years left on my contract and my situation at Liverpool wasn't healthy," he said.

"I think that's why all the speculation came back. I said after the Champions League final, I just wanted to sign a deal and end all the speculation.

"Now the deal is signed four years and no clauses in it so the situation I've been in this summer won't happen again.

"I want to concentrate on my football and winning more trophies for this football club and never being in that situation again."