Liverpool captain wants CL football again

Long-time Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard spoke out regarding his desire to win more trophies and get Liverpool back into the Champions League. The English international, who is now also captain of England, saw his Reds finish seventh last year, behind Merseyside rivals Everton and outside of a Champions League position. “While I’ve still got a couple of years left – and maybe a few more who knows – I have to make the most of it. And that is about adding more medals to what I already have and to leave this club in the Champions League. That is the challenge for me personally,” Gerrard said, according to talkSPORT. “It is not the same club (I joined) because we are not in the Champions League, so it becomes an awful lot more difficult to attract the top players.” While Liverpool may not be in the Champions League this season, Gerrard went on to discuss the club’s recent tour abroad and the popularity of Liverpool, noting that the club can still attract players of high quality even without a Champions League berth this year. “I think the club’s history and size – we’ve just been on a tour which has seen us play in front of nearly a quarter of a million people in 10 days – means the pull is still here,” Gerrard continued, according to talkSPORT. “We need to break back into the top four to get back the pull we had four or five years ago when we were comfortably in the Champions League year in, year out and challenging to win it.” Gerrard clamors for Suarez to stay Gerrard also discussed the potential transfer of Suarez to Arsenal and how without Suarez, the Reds may not be able to challenge for a Champions League berth. “I think everyone knows how highly I rate him and how much I want him to stay, and what we can achieve this season basically depends on whether he stays or goes, I believe,” Gerrard said, according to talkSPORT. Suarez was a critical player for Liverpool last year, scoring 23 goals in 33 appearances for the Reds. He still has to complete the last six games of his ten match ban for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic before returning to play for a club, no matter which club he is with. Gerrard will play in his testimonial match today against Olympiakos at Anfield. The 33 year old scored a phenomenal goal against the Greek side during Liverpool’s run to a Champions League victory in 2005. Gerrard came up through the youth academy at Liverpool before becoming captain and leader of the squad in October of 2003.