Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has been hailed as an ‘inspiration’ by keeper Pepe Reina following his hat-trick against Everton.
The Reds secured a 3-0 win in the Merseyside derby at Anfield on Tuesday night, with Gerrard grabbing all three goals, and Reina was full of praise for the midfielder.
“Stevie is always a key player for us,” he told the club’s official website.
“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 (Jay Spearing) or Carra (Jamie Carragher), those games mean a lot – and the rest of us know how important they are for the club.”
The victory keeps Liverpool’s hopes of reaching next season’s Champions League alive, although they currently trail fourth-placed Arsenal by 10 points.
Liverpool are 10/1 to finish in the top four, while Arsenal are 1/3 and Chelsea can be backed at 5/4.