Gerrard’s three-goal total solution

Liverpool 3 TNS 0

Gerrard struck all three goals as the Reds began the defence of their Champions League crown with success over the Welsh champions at Anfield in the first leg of their qualifying tie.

Gerrard’s performance came a week after he considered leaving the club before eventually deciding to sign a new four-year contract.

“I didn’t want to get into that situation, I wanted to sign a contract after the cup final,” said Gerrard.

“But now that trouble is behind me and the fans reacted well. I am pleased about that and I am proud to carry on as captain of Liverpool Football Club.

“The fans know what I can do, and what I was going to do. I don’t think I had to prove anything there but I have to keep proving things to myself because I want to be successful.”

Gerrard also paid tribute to TNS, who made Liverpool work hard for their victory, only conceding the third goal in the closing minutes.

He said: “All goals are nice, it’s nice to come away with three goals tonight, but credit to them, they worked hard. They were very fit and the manager has got them trying to play football.”

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez, who is now taking his squad to a training camp in Switzerland, may consider making changes for the second leg at Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground next week.

Gerrard added: “He is improving the squad and even the players that are here are getting better.

“The idea here is to win trophies. A lot of the players are craving for that Premier League one and hopefully it will be this year. If not, we will keep having a go.

“He (Benitez) was disappointed with the (league) finish last year and the idea this year is to improve on that and get into title race.”

Benitez claimed Gerrard’s display highlighted just why the club were so keen to keep him.

The Spaniard said: “We said before he was a good player for us.

“He scored three goals, he played well, he is our captain and we always said we wanted to build a team around him.”

Benitez was not too concerned that that the scoreline was not greater.

He added: “We shot many times, we crossed many times but at the end they were well organised and it was difficult to find space.

Gerrard’s first goal came on eight minutes. John Arne Riise got down the left and crossed for Fernando Morientes to lay the ball neatly into the path of his captain and Gerrard sidefooted ball crisply past Gerard Doherty.

Gerrard struck again on 21 minutes when Le Tallec flicked the ball on and Steve Evans hesitated long enough to allow the Liverpool skipper to breeze past him before chipping Doherty.

TNS stuck to their task in the second half, and had plenty of possession but Gerrard completed his hat-trick a minute from time when he struck an angled 20-yarder wide of Doherty’s dive and inside the far post.

LIVERPOOL: Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Warnock (Zenden 64), Potter (Cisse 76), Alonso, Gerrard, Riise, Morientes, Le Tallec.

TNS: Doherty, Baker, Jackson, Evans, King, Wood, Ruscoe, Holmes (Lawless 72), Naylor, Ward (Leah 82), Wilde (Beck 59).

Referee: Joeri Van Der Velde (Belgium).