Recently by Ian Doyle

STEVEN GERRARD has appealed to England manager Fabio Capello not to give up on him - as he claimed a midfield partnership with Frank Lampard can still work.

The Liverpool skipper admits he has struggled to transfer his impressive club form to the international arena and revealed he has been "trying too hard" to be a success for his country.

Gerrard was below par during the World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan on Saturday despite Capello employing an unusual 4-1-2-3 formation specifically to accommodate the attacking talents of both the 28-year-old and Lampard.

However, Gerrard ended the game in a holding midfield role after the half-time tactical switch to a more conventional 4-4-2 that sparked England into life and helped secure a 5-1 win.

XABI ALONSO has left the door open for a possible summer move to Juventus.

The Liverpool midfielder came close to signing for the Serie A side in a £16million deal during the transfer window.

However, Juventus instead opted to sign Sevilla's Christian Poulsen, with coach Claudio Ranieri last week claiming Alonso was "too slow" to accommodate the limitations of the Italian team's other midfielders.

JAMIE CARRAGHER believes Liverpool are showing the winning mentality needed to become genuine championship contenders.

The Anfield outfit are joint leaders of the Premier League alongside Chelsea, having taken 17 points from a possible 21.

Rafael Benitez's side went into this week's international break on the back of a remarkable 3-2 win at Manchester City.

STEVEN GERRARD has completed a century of goals in a Liverpool shirt - but which ones stand out from the rest?

Liverpool v West Ham United, FA Cup Final, May 2006: There aren't many players that have had an FA Cup final named after them, yet Gerrard was wholly deserving of the accolade for his efforts in Cardiff.

Hardly surprising, given the manner in which he'd followed a first equaliser with an injury-time second courtesy of a 30-yard screamer having seconds earlier been struggling to even find the energy to walk.

MARTIN SKRTEL has revealed he feared his career was over following his horror injury last weekend.

The Slovakia international crumpled to the ground in agony after catching his studs in the turf during the closing moments of Liverpool's 3-2 win at Manchester City on Sunday.

Skrtel required oxygen before being carried from the Eastlands pitch on a stretcher, with scans revealing the centre-back had suffered damage to the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.