Gerrard says it’s looking good that he will stay

LIVERPOOL captain Steven Gerrard hinted he would be staying with Liverpool. The England midfielder’s Liverpool future has been in doubt, with Chelsea and Real Madrid reportedly interested in signing him.

Gerrard gave an indication that his future could be at Liverpool next season.

"I'm going to talk very soon with (chairman) Rick Parry and the manager but it's looking good."

Gerrard thought the game was beyond Liverpool at half-time: "At 3-0 down at half-time I thought I was going to be in tears after the final whistle." But he gave credit to boss Rafael Benitez for reminding the players the match was far from over.

"Credit to this man," said Gerrard, with Benitez by his side. "He never let us get our heads down. Paying tribute to the masses of supporters who followed Liverpool to Istanbul, he added: "These fans have saved up for months to come here.

"The fans are the 12th man and I'm really happy for chairman.

"We've taken some stick over the past few years and now we have delivered."

"After the Carling Cup final a few people questioned my commitment but I'm just happy I can do this for the fans, the chairman and this football club."

Benitez said "At half-time I had to change things and hope things would be different. We scored and they were. We lost Harry Kewell and other players had cramp. It was very difficult but the players believe and we won."

Benitez, whose greatest triumph has come in his first year as Liverpool manager, after leaving Valencia last summer, was as buoyant as his players. "Fantastic. After losing 3-0 at half-time, losing players and with injury problems at the end, it's fantastic," he said. "If the players believe, you can do it."

Benitez also had praise for his captain, particularly with regards to the goal which gave Liverpool a whiff of a chance.

Benitez said : "It's good for us. When the captain scores all the team play the same. It's been a really good match. A good game."

Centre-back Sami Hyypia thought goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek deserved the plaudits.

"The magnificent save from Jerzy, then the penalty shoot-out, he's the hero today," he said. "It unbelievable, back in the first they went 3-0 up and many thought the game was over, we decided to give it a go and we did it.

"It was great to comeback, as long as we got the first goal we had chance."

Defensive hero Jamie Carragher added: "It's unbelievable. This must be one of the greatest of all time. I've never seen a final like that in my life."

Like Gerrard, Carragher admitted he felt down and out at half-time.

"We were all deflated," he said, before revealing how Liverpool felt confident after Gerrard pulled the first goal back.

"We got the first one and they seemed to 'go'. I'm just delighted."

Outstanding defender Jamie Carragher added: "I think it will go down in history people will be talking about it in 20-30 years' time.

"I honestly haven't seen a game like that I don't think.

"I said at half-time we had to go for it we didn't want to be beaten four or five nil, then we got the first goal.

"The save Jerzy Dudek made from Shevchenko at the end was unbelievable. I can't believe we've just won."

Dudek added: "This is our night we did a fantastic job."

For Dudek, his performance has redeemed a player who has been cast as a scapegoat.

"I was waiting for this moment," he said. "I had difficult moments in this game, but this is fantastic."

Asked about his brilliant double save from Shevchenko, which kept the scores locked at 3-3 going into the closing minutes of extra-time, Dudek added: "I don't know how I did it.

"It was fortunate for myself that I did it. Fantastic for me."

And Dudek revealed Bruce Grobbelaar's antics in the 1984 final, where his wobbly-legged dance confused Roma's penalty takers, had been an inspiration for the shoot-out.

"Of course I watched it. That was my inspiration," he said.