Gerrard pays back with hat trick

LIVERPOOL – Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez claimed that Steven Gerrard repaid the club’s supporters with an inspirational hat-trick as the European champions launched the defence of their title with a 3-0 win against Total Network Solutions at Anfield on Wednesday.

Gerrard, the Liverpool captain, faced the supporters for the first time since performing an astonishing U-turn on his future at the club last week by signing a new four-year contract and rejecting a 35 million pound move to Chelsea just days after claiming he wanted to leave Anfield. Fans burned Gerrard shirts in the wake of his initial decision to leave, but the England midfielder was cheered by the home fans throughout the game as his hat-trick ensured that Liverpool left the Welsh champions with an impossible task in next Tuesday’s first qualifying round second leg.”It was really important for Steven to have a good game in front of the supporters and they now know that he will do his best for them,” said Benitez.”Steven played well and scored three good goals.”He is our captain and when he plays like that I have a lot of confidence for the season.”I have always said that I wanted to build a team around him.He is a key player who gives us so many options, but it was important that he showed his commitment to the club.”After scoring the first hat-trick of his professional career, Gerrard – who admitted last Friday when he signed his new contract that he needed to have better relations with Benitez – refused to accept that he had anything to prove following last week’s stay-or-go saga.Gerrard is likely to be rested, along with several other first-team players, for next week’s second leg at Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground, but he admits that TNS will offer stern resistance next Tuesday.-Nampa-ReutersFans burned Gerrard shirts in the wake of his initial decision to leave, but the England midfielder was cheered by the home fans throughout the game as his hat-trick ensured that Liverpool left the Welsh champions with an impossible task in next Tuesday’s first qualifying round second leg.”It was really important for Steven to have a good game in front of the supporters and they now know that he will do his best for them,” said Benitez.”Steven played well and scored three good goals.”He is our captain and when he plays like that I have a lot of confidence for the season.”I have always said that I wanted to build a team around him.He is a key player who gives us so many options, but it was important that he showed his commitment to the club.”After scoring the first hat-trick of his professional career, Gerrard – who admitted last Friday when he signed his new contract that he needed to have better relations with Benitez – refused to accept that he had anything to prove following last week’s stay-or-go saga.Gerrard is likely to be rested, along with several other first-team players, for next week’s second leg at Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground, but he admits that TNS will offer stern resistance next Tuesday.-Nampa-Reuters