Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard says Brendan Rodgers's side will return to Champions League next year

Steven Gerrard, the Liverpool captain, has issued a bold statement of intent ahead of the new season by insisting his club will reclaim its place in the Champions League this year.

Steven Gerrard - Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard syas Brendan Rodgers's will return to Champions League next year
Money on reds: Steven Gerrard is confident Liverpool will return to the Champions League at the end of next season Credit: Photo: AP

While Liverpool’s owners have set a more modest target for new manager Brendan Rodgers’ debut campaign, Gerrard is adamant the club can finish in the top four at the Northern Irishman’s first attempt.

He is urging those members of the squad whose heads may have been turned by the chance of move to a side already in Europe’s elite competition to give the club the next 12 months to re-establish its credentials.

“I do think we will get in the top four,” said Gerrard. “I think we will get it. I am confident we will get it.

“I am not being unrealistic. If we can play like we did in a lot of games last season, be clinical and take our chances, I think we will be high up in the table. I do.

“It has got to come. We are Liverpool. We can’t finish eighth. We have got to put that right. We have got to take the criticism for underperforming last year. We can’t be doing post-match interviews saying ‘we should have got the points or we were not clinical enough’. We have got to be clinical. We have got to get the points we should get.

“I don’t think it’s ever happened that a team has gone from eighth to first, but there are still other big targets for us to achieve short term. Getting in that top four again is certainly the priority.

“I thought we were brilliant at times in the league, it’s just that we never got out of games what we deserved. Don’t get me wrong, though, I’m not going to sit here and make excuses. There were times when we murdered teams. We just hadn’t come off with with what we deserved.

“But there were other times you would come off thinking no wonder we are sixth, seventh and eighth in the league. We hadn’t played well enough. It was frustrating but if you look at the season as a whole, you can’t use an excuse for finishing eighth. It wasn’t good enough.” Gerrard enjoyed close relationship with former manager Kenny Dalglish and was devastated it didn’t work out for the Anfield legend, but he understands why the club has turned to a younger, dynamic coach such as Rodgers.

“Kenny knows himself that when Liverpool finish eighth, the owners and supporters are going to ask questions,” said Gerrard.

“Everyone knows that. While there was shock and disappointment at the time, you understood the decision. You move on with what the club wanted to do and they wanted Brendan Rodgers in. They wanted a young manager with a vision for the long-term. They want him to bring stability and that is hopefully what will happen.

“I think we’ll definitely see a much bolder Liverpool team and more exciting too, but with a quick transition when we lose the ball.

“Over the years sometimes Liverpool have come up against certain type of opposition and we have shown them too much respect. Maybe we had to because of the style we’ve been asked to play.

“There were times under previous managers when we did that, but I think this manager is the opposite and wants us to play like a big team.

“There is a lot of hard work and a lot of learning to be done sharpish if we want to implement that straight away. In my second session we were already doing team shape and he is telling players what he expects movement wise, how he wants the team to do the transition when we lose the ball to win it back. The manager has made me aware of where he’s at and what he’s trying to do - I’ve been Cit really impressed with him.”

Liverpool are heading into their third consecutive season without Champions League football, but rather than desert Anfield, Gerrard believes the club’s best players are determined to remedy the situation.

“Those players have got to think how I think and use the hurt of what happened to make up for it. That is the only way you can do it.” “They make their own decisions. I can’t speak for them. But if they ask for my opinion, I would tell them to be patient. Obviously I am biased but I think playing Champions League football for this club would be more special than anywhere else.

“If you perform hard enough and well enough, it will come. That is the only way you get it.”