[lfc-news] Benitez: Gerrard can stay and win trophies with us - Echo

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Liverpool Echo, 15 April 2005
Gerrard can stay and win trophies with us - Benitez
By David Prentice & Chris Bascombe, Liverpool Echo

RAFA BENITEZ has urged Steven Gerrard to abandon any ideas of leaving
Liverpool - and help lead the Reds into a new trophy-winning era.

The Anfield club reached the semi-finals of the Champions League this
week, without their skipper who was sat at home nursing a groin injury.

But with Liverpool now facing Chelsea in the last four - the team
Gerrard publicly turned his back on last summer - the issue of the
skipper's long term future is the subject of speculation once again.

Reds boss Rafa Benitez said today: "Steven Gerrard wants to win trophies
and me too, I want to win trophies. I am not here to learn English. I am
here to win trophies.

"He says the club and the team must improve, and we are improving. I
think he wants to improve with us.

"I know we have a good team and we can play even better and win more games.

"I am always thinking about the next game, but also about the big
picture and I want to progress."

Benitez revealed that Gerrard is fit to face Tottenham at Anfield
tomorrow, and that Xabi Alonso was also fit enough to join him after his
first appearance for three-and-a-half months in Turin.

The Reds boss also dismissed the way chief executive Rick Parry's words
had been misinterpreted in some morning newspapers today.

After saying: "Liverpool is much bigger than one player. Steven wasn't
with us and we proved that we can cope" some headlines claimed "We don't
need you Gerro!"

But Benitez declared: "I was surprised to read something about Steven
Gerrard. I think Rick Parry tried to say that we have a good squad with
a lot of good players - including Steven Gerrard, who is a fantastic player.

"The idea was to show people we have a good team with Steven Gerrard,
but that we can win without him."

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