• Football

'We want to win the title for Gerrard'

Liverpool defender Jon Flanagan believes no one deserves a Premier League winners' medal more than captain Steven Gerrard.

After Sunday's 3-2 win over Manchester City, a clearly emotional Gerrard was at the centre of a team huddle giving out words of advice to his team-mates.

With the Premier League title the only club honour missing from his trophy cabinet, Gerrard effectively told the players they had to forget the result and turn their focus to struggling Norwich at Carrow Road next weekend.

Gerrard's talk appeared to have the desired result, with the midfielder's determination to see through the job of ending a 24-year wait for a title in the club's final four games leaving a mark on his team-mates.

"It is phenomenal. He has carried this club for years and he deserves this,'' Flanagan told the Liverpool Echo. "I think all the lads are doing it for themselves but also for Stevie as well.''

"It was a great win. All the lads and all the fans are believing we can do it now.

"Stevie said in the huddle that we need to go again next weekend at Norwich and he's right. We haven't achieved anything yet and we all know that. Man City is gone and it's about the next game.

"We have to stay focused and prepare for Norwich. There are still another four games to be won and we can't allow things to slip. We need to keep going like this right to the end."

Raheem Sterling, who scored after just six minutes to put Liverpool 1-0 up against City, hailed a "captain's performance" from Gerrard.

"He said that it was a great win for us and a great team effort. He said that we don't just stop here - we go again against Norwich next week," explained Sterling.

"It was another tremendous captain's performance from him, to regroup the boys and tell us it's not over just because of today's game, and to go again next week - credit to him."

Martin Skrtel, whose powerful header made it 2-0 to Liverpool, paid tribute to the fans on an emotional afternoon at Anfield which saw a minute's silence before kick-off in memory of the Hillsborough disaster victims.

"We showed character, spirit and desire to score the third goal and it was a great win," Skrtel told Liverpool's club website. "It was a great demonstration of our spirit.

"It wasn't easy for us because we conceded two goals in quick succession and from there, it's never easy to get back into the game.

"But the atmosphere was unbelievable - even on the street before the game when we were arriving at the stadium. The fans were singing and showing their support and that's always great for the players. I need to say thanks for that and we need to keep going."

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