England fans vote for Gerrard

Liverpool's Steven Gerrard has been voted England's Player of the Year for 2012 by fans ahead of Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck and Chelsea defender Ashley Cole.

The 32-year-old midfielder received 40% of the votes after becoming his country's sixth player to reach 100 caps in November's meeting with Sweden while starring for England 11 times during the year.



Gerrard is a second time winner and said after being presented with the award by Sir Bobby Charlton on Sunday at St George's Park: "It's always special to be recognised by supporters. You only have to look in the players in the team so it's special. I decided after the summer to stay involved, because of the players in the group.

"It means a lot to me when you look at the quality and standard of players in this squad. For me to be picked out to win an individual award is a bonus and something I'm really delighted with.

"It's always a proud feeling to play for this team and the manager believing in me and giving me the captaincy was a huge lift for my personal confidence. I think I've shown a level of consistency that maybe I haven't shown in previous years so it's been a good year."

Gerrard joins Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney in lifting the award twice.

Gerrard, who won the England Player of the Year award in 2007, impressed during the summer's European Championship - setting up Joleon Lescott to head England in front in the opener with France in Donetsk.

Rodgers: "It was a brilliant goal from him to beat Joe Hart from that distance. I thought his performance was immense."

As England skipper he also crossed for Andy Carroll to head home in a 3-2 win over Sweden and had a hand in Rooney's headed goal that beat co-hosts Ukraine.

Left-back Stephanie Houghton was voted England women player of the year.

Houghton was a star performer for Team GB during the Olympic Games and scored the winner against Brazil.

The men's U21 and women's U23 players of the year awards went to Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson and Toni Duggan.

FA chairman David Bernstein said: "Clearly The FA England Awards is about much more than prize-giving and honouring those who have achieved.

"The elite level is the pinnacle of a pyramid that makes English football so

special. They are the inspiration to over two million people regularly playing football in this country. All involved at every level deserve our recognition

and respect."



The evening also saw the Bobby Moore Fund put in the spotlight, with widow Stephanie Moore presenting three of the youth awards.

This month marks the 20th anniversary since World Cup-winning skipper Moore's death from bowel cancer.

Eriksson : 'Absolute leader '

Former England Manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has picked Steven Gerrard as his favourite for the Player of the Year award.



At St. George's Park on Sunday night, all 24 England teams will be a part of the inaugural FA England Awards.



And Three Lions captain Gerrard is in line for one of the eleven prizes up for grabs.



The Liverpool midfielder was on the five-man shortlist in the running for the Senior's Player of 2012. Fans voted for their choice via an online poll on TheFA.com throughout December and early January, but we have to wait until Sunday to find out who's claimed the trophy.



Eriksson, who was in charge of England for 67 games from 2001-2006, handed Gerrard the England armband for the first time when they faced Sweden in 2004.



He believes that Gerrard's leadership in 2012 would make him the perfect choice for the award.



“It would be Steven Gerrard for me, he is the captain of the team and played very well last year for England," Eriksson told TheFA.com



“It was very easy for me as England Manager to have Steven Gerrard in my team, to work with him was very easy.

Gerrard gets Sven's vote for the 'Player Of The Year' Prize.

"He is a fantastic football player, he can attack, his passing is outstanding and he can score goals. He is very good at defending and is one of the best midfielders you can find in the world."



Eriksson added: “Steven was captain for the first time under me, against Sweden, and he has grown from that moment.



"He is a leader, absolutely. When he speaks everyone listens, no doubts about that.”

Gerrard: 'We need two more big players'

Steven Gerrard has admitted that Liverpool need "two more big players" in the January transfer window.

The Reds captain has said that he approves of the way that manager Brendan Rodgers is trying shape the side, but feels that the club would find more consistent results by a couple more additions to the squad.



"In general, I like the direction the club is going in, but the harsh reality is that we still need two or three big players who can help," Gerrard was quoted as saying in The Mirror.



"We were short before the last deadline and I think we struggled to find consistency because of that. The gap between us and, say, Manchester United is now severe, but I believe that – on our day – we can beat any team in the league.



"When we don't play well, we don't win. We need to find a way to win games when we're not really at our top level."



Liverpool have so far added Daniel Sturridge to their ranks in the transfer window.

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Gerrard: I'll be back to best

Steven Gerrard is confident he will soon return to the form of his former self after a rollercoaster season so far with Liverpool.

The Anfield and England captain has had a mixed campaign after a combination of injuries and tactical reshuffles under club boss Brendan Rodgers have forced him into different roles and seen him score just five goals.

But, going into the second half of 2012/13, 32-year-old Gerrard is feeling good about himself and Liverpool's prospects for the future ahead of facing Manchester United at the weekend.

He told the official Liverpool FC magazine: "I've had mixed experiences this season. I've passed some unbelievable landmarks for club and country, getting to the 600-games mark and winning my 100th cap for England.

"But, with the slow start we made and being where we have in the league, it's been a bit mixed for me.

Gerrard has most assists so far this season  

"There's my form as well. I've played well in some games but I've been disappointed with myself in others and I'm not happy with my goal tally at the moment.

"People's opinions, perceptions and the way they judge you changes when you get a goal.

Top passes in the PL, Steven is in the 4th position.

"I think my performances are getting closer to where I want them to be so if I can add goals to those performances, then maybe people will start saying the old Steven Gerrard is back.

"I don't think the manager has asked me to do anything different in terms of the way he wants to me to perform.

"But because of certain injuries, situations that have happened to the team and formations that we've played, I've naturally played a little bit deeper.

Total crosses in PL, Gerrard has 151.

"I've maybe gone into protection mode rather than playing the old Steven Gerrard way with the shackles off and going for the jugular."

Suarez hails ´hero´ Gerrard

Liverpool forward Luis Suarez has praised Steven Gerrard and says the England midfielder was one of his heroes prior to his move to Anfield.



The controversial former Ajax star, who has already notched 11 goals in the English Premier League this season, had words of praise for Gerrard.



Suarez admits he enjoyed controlling Gerrard on the Playstation before joining the 32-year-old on Merseyside almost two years ago.



"It's hard to find words to describe what a great player Steven has been – and continues to be – for the club," Suarez told the club's website.



"It was only four years ago or so that I was playing on the Playstation and I was always Liverpool and to have him in my team was great. Now I'm playing alongside him – he was a hero."



Suarez also reiterated his commitment to the Anfield club, who are eighth in the Premier League after Saturday's 4-0 win over Fulham.



"I'm very, very happy here at the club, I couldn't be happier. Liverpool is a club I've always dreamt of playing at. It's like a dream for me," he said.

Top-selling official EPL player jerseys

Robin van Persie’s popularity at Manchester United since joining from Arsenal in the summer is demonstrated by news that his is the best-selling official Barclays Premier League shirt in North America this season.



Figures released by Sporting ID, which produces the names, numbers and sleeve badges of the Barclays Premier League, show that the United forward, who has scored 11 Premier League goals so far, leads his United strike partner Wayne Rooney, who was found to have had the best-selling shirt in the League’s history. In third is Chelsea striker Fernando Torres.

"North American soccer fans support the Barclays Premier League as fanatically as anywhere else"

Robert Thayne

United States striker Clint Dempsey is the biggest mover, rising to sixth after his move from Fulham to Tottenham Hotspur in August. Dempsey is the first US player to make the top 10 in North American sales.

"North American soccer fans continue to support the Barclays Premier League as fanatically as anywhere else, often waking at 4am to catch games on TV," said Sporting iD’s global sales and marketing director Robert Thayne. "Players like Van Persie, Eden Hazard, Clint Dempsey, Steven Gerrard and Jack Wilshere are top-class players playing for the biggest clubs in the world and their fans in North America are really no different than the ones who live in the UK.

“They are clearly showing their support of these players and their club by personalizing jerseys with official Premier League player names, numbers and sleeve badges.”



Top-selling official Barclays Premier League player jerseys in North America : -



1. Robin van Persie (Manchester United)

2. Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

3. Fernando Torres (Chelsea)

4. Eden Hazard (Chelsea)

5. Frank Lampard (Chelsea)

6. Clint Dempsey (Tottenham Hotspur)

7. Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)

8. Javier Hernandez (Manchester United)

9. Shinji Kagawa (Manchester United)

10. Jack Wilshere (Arsenal)

Gerrard eyes fourth spot

Steven Gerrard has predicted Liverpool has every chance of challenging for fourth spot if they manage to win their next three Premier League games.



Sunday’s 3-2 victory over West Ham on Sunday brought Liverpool to within four points of fourth-placed Everton heading into the hectic festive period.



Brendan Rodgers’ men, who enjoyed back-to-back league victories for the first time since he took over in the summer, face Aston Villa, Fulham, Stoke and QOR in their final four games of 2012 and four wins would greatly enhance their chances of competing for a Champions League spot.



Reflecting on Sunday’s result, Gerrard said: “I’m really pleased with the lads. It was a fantastic performance. I think before the game people were doubting us and thinking we would be a bit toothless in the final third without our top striker.



“But we’ve gone away from home, scored three goals and got the three points we came here for.”



Liverpool made their worst start to a season since 1911, but they have improved steadily under Rodgers and Gerrard is hopeful they will find themselves closer to fourth by the turn of the year.



“We’re building slowly towards where we want to be. We’ve got two home games now against Aston Villa and Fulham,” he told the Liverpool Echo.



“If we can capitalise and make it 12 points out of 12, then we will find ourselves a lot closer to fourth.



“It’s a platform to build on. We just have to focus on Villa now. Come the end of December we’re really looking to be close to that fourth position.”

Rodgers: Big gun to start in Europa

Brendan Rodgers plans to name a strong side for the Europa League clash with Young Boys on Thursday as the Reds attempt to seal qualification at the earliest opportunity.

Should Udinese fail to beat Anzhi Makhachkala in Russia earlier in the day, Liverpool could book their place in the knockout stages by claiming three points against the Swiss outfit.



With that scenario in mind, Rodgers intends to call on captain Steven Gerrard and the senior members of his squad at Anfield tomorrow to complete the task, which began with a 5-3 victory over the visitors in Switzerland.



"Out there, we never took Steven Gerrard and one or two other players but they'll all be involved tomorrow night," the boss explained at his press briefing on Wednesday.



"We'll have a strong team. I will make changes in the game - I have to respect that we've got a really busy schedule now over the course of the next 10 days.



"From tomorrow we'll have four games in 10 days, and that's a big ask to keep the same group of players playing in all of those.



"But it's an opportunity for us tomorrow night, all being well we'll get the result and if the other result goes with us, we'll be able to navigate our way through the group.



"That's always been our intention - to qualify. We'll put out a team that we feel can win the game.



"You want to be in these competitions, as a manager and a coach and a player you want to be playing in European competition. It will be easier for us going forward once we've supplemented the group and I've got the right strength in depth.



"The competition has been fantastic, we've got some good results in it, some excellent performances, and we've gained some young players out of it. Our focus is to win the game and if we can qualify at the end of it, it will be a good night.



"I know what my priority is but I also respect the competition and I want to go through in the competition so we'll be out tomorrow night to win the game and it's up to ourselves to do that."



Young Boys have rallied since that opening-match defeat by the Reds, recording back-to-back victories over Udinese, including a 3-2 triumph on Italian soil.



And Rodgers knows Liverpool will face a challenge at Anfield. He continued: "Young Boys are a good side. They might not be showing that in some of their league form of late since we played them last.



"But certainly in this tournament, the games against Udinese, they have done very well. I like their idea, how they try to play football - 4-3-3 and look to pass the ball.



"Tactically they are good, so we know it is going to be a difficult game so we need to have a strong group."

Suso: Gerrard is my role model

Liverpool's Spanish star Suso has singled-out Steven Gerrard as his footballing inspiration - and hailed the skipper as one of the best players in the world.

The Reds' No.30 has clocked up 11 appearances for the Reds since making his debut against Young Boys in September and his creativity and ability has allowed him to slot effortlessly into Brendan Rodgers' three-pronged attack.



Gerrard has been a near constant in the side during those fixtures and Suso revealed how he has been inspired by the way the 32-year-old remains dedicated to improving every day at Melwood, despite having already achieved so much in the game.



Asked by youngsters gathered at the launch of the Liverpool FC Foundation Football College to name his footballing role model, Suso replied: "I would say Gerrard. I think he is one of the best players in the world.



"He has been playing in the Liverpool first team since he was as young as 18 years old and he is still playing.



"I see him every morning in training and he always wants to improve, even though he is the best player already and he has won so much at this club.



"So I think this is why he is one of the best examples for young players."



Dani Pacheco was also on hand to help launch the new college and he was keen to echo his countryman's sentiments and praise for the Reds skipper. He said: "I can't say any different [to Suso] - at this club, Stevie is the model for everyone.



"He has come through the Academy and has achieved plenty. But he is trying to achieve even more. And that is amazing.



"When you see a player at that level, who still wants to improve more and more, you think to yourself, 'I have to fight everyday to get near to that level' and I know I have to fight to play for this club."

Gerrard - I am a six out of 10

Steven Gerrard has accepted his international career could have been better.

The Liverpool captain will become only the sixth Three Lion to reach 100 caps when facing Sweden on Wednesday night, following in the footsteps of Peter Shilton, David Beckham,Bobby Moore, Sir Bobby Charlton and Billy Wright.



The third and fourth names on that list stand out immediately as true icons of the English game, the man who captained their only World Cup-winning team and its best player.



So often lauded as one of the best of his own generation, it is that standard Gerrard judges himself by.



100 for Gerrard

And, in comparison, the 32-year-old does not believe his own achievements stand up to much scrutiny, as he said: "If they are a 10 I would rate myself as a six or seven.



"(Moore and Charlton) will always be heroes of mine and heroes of English football.



"In football, hero and legend status get given out far too easily. As far as playing for England goes, there are maybe 14 or 15 heroes. The rest haven't really delivered."



It is hard to escape the view that Gerrard's time has coincided with one of international disappointments.



The assessment is not one he disagrees with, particularly when he looks back to the period between his debut in 2000 and Euro 2004.



At the time, Sven Goran Eriksson seemed to have presided over a decent period, reaching three quarter-finals in a row for the first time but Gerrard knows it should have been better.



"I don't really like talking about the 'golden generation' but, front to back, that was a really strong team," he said. "I totally agree that group of players underachieved at big tournaments."



Now Gerrard's aim will be to ensure the next generation, the likes of Arsenal's Jack Wilshere and Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha, are given the best possible help at the start of their England careers.



"I don't want any of these young lads to fear me," he said. "I'm approachable. The first thing I do when someone is new into the group is speak to them because I know how intimidating this set-up can be, especially for Wilfried.



"He has come from the Championship and is not playing against these players every week, so doesn't get a chance to speak to them. I told him if he needs anything, I am here."

Stevie: Suarez is sensational

Liverpool's Steven Gerrard believes Luis Suarez is the best striker he has played alongside, and would love to see Xabi Alonso back at Anfield.



Gerrard, in a Twitter question and answer session for sponsors adidas, picked Suarez ahead of the likes of Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen and Fernando Torres - all great goalscorers at Anfield - and England team-mate Wayne Rooney.



Asked who is the greatest striker he had played with Gerrard opted for Suarez, who has scored seven of Liverpool's 13 Premier League goals this season and produced a wonder strike against Newcastle on Sunday.



Gerrard also singled out the Uruguay international as the player who messes about most in training - "He's a nuisance!" wrote the 32-year-old.



The Reds captain also revealed, given the opportunity, he would jump at the chance to bring Alonso back to the club.



"Xabi Alonso - best midfielder I've played with, I miss playing with him," he wrote.



The feeling appears to be mutual with the Real Madrid midfielder confident Gerrard, who marked his 600th match for Liverpool at the weekend, would slot seamlessly into Spain's World Cup and European Championship-winning side.



"Absolutely, there's no doubt," said Alonso.



"He could play in any national team in the world because he has so many great qualities.



"He is flexible. He can play at the English pace or he can associate with the ball very well.



"He is a very intelligent player, so he could play anywhere - not just any national team but any club in the world.



"But he has been a one-club man and that's something I really admire."



Alonso believe Gerrard had a significant impact on his career, having moved to Merseyside from Real Sociedad in 2004.



"He was a great influence to me," he told Real Madrid TV in an interview on behalf of Liverpoolfc.com.



"When I arrived at Liverpool, I was 22 and he was the captain, he was the main man at the club.



"For me, he was a reference, the way he behaved with his team-mates and with the supporters as well.



"I learned a lot from him. We are great friends and we still keep in touch.



"He is so inspirational. In the key moments, he has that different thing, that spark that is difficult to define.



"He'll absolutely be remembered as one of the greats. For me he is already one of the greats."



Gerrard and Suarez seem unlikely to make Thursday's Europa League trip to face big-spending Anzi Makhachkala in Moscow.



Although victory in the Russian capital would strengthen the Reds' position at the top of Group A, manager Brendan Rodgers has one eye on Sunday's trip to Chelsea and with Suarez as his only fit senior striker he does not want to risk him.



It means he is likely to field a much-changed side from the one which drew with Newcastle.