Carroll Set For European Debut

Liverpool's £35million striker, Andy Carroll, is set to make his European debut in Thursday's match against Braga.

The former Newcastle star has recovered from a long-standing tendon injury and made his first appearance in red as a substitute in Sunday's win over Manchester United.

Carroll played the last 16 minutes at Anfield to mark his return to action after an almost three-month rehabilitation process, which began prior to his record-breaking January transfer.

Liverpool now plan to gradually increase their new England international's workload, which is likely to include a substitute outing in the Europa League last-16 first-leg match against Braga at the Estadio AXA.

"It's been a long process rehabilitating him - about eight or nine weeks - but we are happy with the result," Liverpool's head of sports medicine and sports science, Dr Peter Brukner, told the club's official website.

"We've seen steady improvement over that time. He's much stronger in that tendon and in general as well.

"We still need to keep working with him and we want to build his training and playing load up to the level required.

"He'll play some more minutes against Braga and hopefully he'll be involved more and more with each game."

Brukner added: "He had a tear in the tendon just above the knee, which was a rare injury because it is more common to have that below the knee.

"We were really determined to build him up slowly and just get him a lot stronger to cope with the load."

Brukner has also been impressed by 22-year-old Carroll's determination to return to full fitness.

He said: "The physio and fitness guys have worked really hard with Andy and to his credit he's not shirked the issue."

Cameron Park Could Be On His Way To Anfield

Middlesbrough academy graduate Cameron Park is a transfer target for Liverpool reports the Times.

Described as an outstanding left-sided prospect, the 18-year-old winger has captured the attention of Reds’ Director of Football Strategy Damien Comolli.

The Liverpool chief has reportedly been in touch with the Championship club over a possible move to Anfield in the summer.

Liverpool scouts have also been monitoring Park’s progress in the Boro reserve team with Riverside bosses saying he has shown more potential than both Stewart Downing, and Adam Johnson who also made their names in Middlesbrough’s youth set-up.

Park agreed professional terms on a four-and-a-half year deal in January but with Boro set to lose their Premier League parachute payments after the end of the current campaign, Liverpool are set to capitalize on the likely financial restructuring needed at the club.

Kenny Dalglish is keen to add to his attacking midfield options, and despite Park having only made three senior appearances as a substitute this season, the Liverpool boss has seen enough to pursue his interest in one of the hottest young prospects in English football.

Since the appointment of new Liverpool owners NESV, the Anfield club’s philosophy of acquiring promising young talent wherever possible means that a summer approach looks increasingly likely.

Liverpool Made Contact With Stephen Ireland But Manchester City Vetoed Move

Liverpool reportedly made an attempt to sign Stephen Ireland last summer but the move was blocked by Manchester City.

The 24-year-old playmaker subsequently joined Aston Villa in a deal which saw James Milner move in the opposite direction but was shipped out of Villa Park in January - moving to Newcastle on loan.

Ireland has endured quite a fall from grace since being named City's Player of the Season for 2008/09 - an accolade which saw him rewarded with a new five-year contract.

The departure of Mark Hughes from Eastlands signified the start of Ireland's downward spiral and the Irishman soon fell out of favour after Roberto Mancini took the City reigns.

An exit from Manchester was always predicted during the summer transfer window and the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham were reportedly monitoring Ireland's situation with great interest.

However, the midfielder has revealed that - despite contact from both Liverpool and Manchester United regarding a potential transfer - City opted not to sell the £8 million-rated Ireland international to a Barclays Premier League rival.

"I saw Shay Given the other day, Arsenal want him but he can't go as City don't want to strengthen a rival," Ireland told So Foot.

"It was the same with me, I had contacts with Manchester United and Liverpool but City vetoed it."

Liverpool were also linked with Ireland in January but were reported to have doubts over his fitness, although a summer move could still be in the offing.

The Reds are known to be keen to add some midfield creativity to their ranks as of June 1 and Ireland could provide Liverpool with the extra invention they so crave.

Liverpool's Strike Force Is World Class - Jay Spearing

Liverpool midfielder Jay Spearing believes strike duo Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll are world class.

Both joined the ranks at Anfield in the January transfer window and Spearing thinks Suarez has been impressive.

The 22-year-old told BBC Radio Merseyside: "The two strikers we've brought are world class and we've paid good money for them.

"Suarez has shown already that he's very sharp in and around the box, likes to take people on and gets shots in."

He added: "He has shown in Holland, in a small amount of games, his goalscoring record is unbelievable.

"Andy Carroll has proved he can score all sorts of goals in the Premier League and has played at international level."

Liverpool's form has improved since the return of Kenny Dalglish as manager in January and a fine 3-1 victory over Manchester United on Sunday was described as the "highlight" of the season by the Scot.

The Reds have been beaten only three times in 12 matches under Dalglish and have also beaten last season's league champions Chelsea in the process.

Spearing believes Dalglish, who scored 172 goals in 515 appearances for Liverpool, has inspired the players and improved their confidence.

"He's the greatest player to come from Liverpool Football Club," said Spearing. "He has an aura and he's come in and given the lads a lot of confidence.

"He's not changed much but he's brought in his own ways of training and Steve Clarke [first-team coach] has come in and took the training and brought in new ideas.

"It just shows in the results and in the games that we're right behind the manager. We've all got a bit of confidence in ourselves, which you could say was a little bit lost in the first few months of the season.

"Since Kenny has come in a new leaf has been turned and we're looking forward now."

Liverpool FC Launches Official Game App For Apple Devices

Liverpool FC has launched what it claims is the first official football club game app for the iPad.

The game, which pits players against Liverpool FC’s goalkeeper Pepe Reina in a penalty shootout, will be available across all Apple’s mobile devices including the iPod Touch and iPhone 3GS.

The game’s developer, Bright AI, has used a combination of the physics of a real football’s movement, recordings of supporters’ chants and sound effects from matches to replicate the experience of a penalty shootout at Anfield stadium.

Mobile manager at Liverpool FC Kathy Smith said the club would be extending its product range to other devices in the near future as it looks to strengthen its standing in the mobile market.

“Mobile provides an important channel for fans to engage with the club, not only on matchdays but for entertainment too,” she said.

Liverpool Close In On Arsenal Man

Liverpool appear to be leading the chase for Arsenal left back Gael Clichy as the French international continues to struggle to resolve his contract dispute with the club. The 25 year old defender will apparently not now iscuss the issue with his North London employers until the end of the season and that has led many to believe that Arsene Wenger is not willing to compromise on his initial offer to the former Cannes man.

There seems little chance Clichy would move to hated rivals Tottenham, not after eight years and 250+ appearances for the Gunners and the talented wide man is apparently open to the idea of staying in the Premier League if big moves from Abroad are not forthcoming.

Italian giants Juventus are reportedly willing to pay as much as €20m (£17.2m) for the experienced Toulouse born full back and Liverpool may have to match that offer, which may seem steep for a player who will have a year left to run on his contract come the summer, but we are talking about arguably one of the best players in his position in Europe and the price is still less than the Merseyside club paid for Glenn Johnson.

Clichy may not be keen on a move to Turin though as the club is in something of a crisis at present and may well finish outside the European qualification places altogether. Liverpool are looking for a new left back as they look to offload Emiliano Insua and Paul Konchesky, the aforementioned Johnson has been played out of position on the left but is clearly more suited to the right side where his place seems in the balance given the great form shown by youngster Martin Kelly.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has also been linked with moves to offload under performing members of his squad including Manuel Almunia, Nicklas Bendtner and even Andrei Arshavin who is attracting interest from his former club Zenit St Petersburg.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Must Decide On Either Anfield Or Stamford Bridge

AC Milan loan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s long-term future has been cast into doubt, alerting a number of Barclays Premier League clubs reports the Metro.

The player’s agent Mino Raiola has intensified speculation linking the Swedish international with another summer move after being quoted in the Italian press.

"Zlatan might not end his career at AC Milan. We will decide everything in 2012 according to the results achieved here," Raiola told 7 Gold.

The news is likely to alert the likes of long-term admirers Chelsea as well as new potential suitors Liverpool.

It was only last week that Ibrahimovic declared he would finish his career at the Rosseneri after scoring 19 goals in 33 games in his debut season.

He has also contributed 12 assists in the club’s pursuit of the Scudetto (Serie A title) for the first time since 2004 – fine form which has prompted Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti to earmark Ibrahimovic as a top target to bring to Stamford Bridge in the summer.

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish is also in the market for more attacking options, despite the Reds spending in excess of £50million on their January recruitment drive that saw Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez move to Anfield.

Liverpool owners NESV have backed the club financially and the spending looks to continue when the transfer window reopens in June, with Ibrahimovic rumoured to be a confirmed Anfield target.

Having failed to live up to his €56million price tag after a swap deal with Barcelona took him to his first spell at the San Siro with Inter, Ibrahimovic’s stock has since risen again.

AC Milan have the first option of purchasing for a reported €24million, but with news that the 29-year-old is keen to embark on another challenge elsewhere, a summer transfer tussle for Ibrahimovic’s signature between Chelsea and Liverpool is anticipated.

Lucas Wants New Contract

Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva believes he has done enough to deserve a new contract at Anfield.

The Brazil international will enter the final year of his current deal at the end of the season and there have yet to be any discussions regarding an extension.

Lucas has shown significant improvement this campaign, despite almost being sold by Roy Hodgson last summer, and he has remained a part of Kenny Dalglish's plans since January.

The 24-year-old accepts that club owners, the Fenway Sports Group, and Dalglish, if he is offered a long-term contract, are likely to make summer changes to Liverpool's squad as they continue their rebuilding process.

But Lucas hopes that he is not a player who is moved on, as he told the Liverpool Daily Post: "Always in the summer a few players will go and a few players will come, so we have to wait and see. We want to finish this season well.

"I hope to be one of those that stays in the summer. Why not? I still have one year left on my contract after this season so I have a commitment with the club, and I'm doing everything to show I am capable to be here.

"There haven't been any talks over a new deal. I'm just looking at finishing this season. This season has been very good for me, and I just want to keep that going.

"I only have to convince two people - Dalglish and the Brazil national team manager. I just have to keep going."

Injuries To Fabio Aurelio And Daniel Agger Hand Liverpool FC A Left-Back Blow

Kenny Dalglish faces a defensive headache ahead of Liverpool’s Europa League trip to Braga tomorrow, after both Fabio Aurelio and Daniel Agger were ruled out due to injury.

Neither will be included in the travelling Reds party, which heads for Portugal today, leaving Dalglish with a decision to be made over the left-back position.

Glen Johnson is favourite to start there, with Jamie Carragher pushed out to right-back, though Dalglish has used young Scot Danny Wilson at full-back in recent weeks, and could be tempted to give the 19-year-old another European start at the Estadio AXA.

Aurelio limped out of Sunday’s 3-1 victory over Premier League leaders Manchester United after just 24 minutes with a hamstring injury, and club doctor Peter Brukner has confirmed the Brazilian will be out for at least a month.

“He’s got a significant hamstring injury,” said Brukner. “Unfortunately his body lets him down. He always plays well when he’s fit. We’ve been managing him carefully because he’s not been playing twice in a week, but this just came out of the blue.

“He had a minor adductor strain a few weeks before that. We rehabilitated him and he trained all week with no problems at all. He’ll be out for a month so that’s a blow. It’s a partial tear. It’s what we call a secondary degree hamstring. It’s similar to Martin Kelly’s, and these are three or four week injuries.

The news will come as a fresh blow to the 31-year-old, who has only just shaken off an adductor problem, and has been plagued by injuries during his five year stay at Anfield.

“He’s obviously very down,” added Brukner. “It was a sad sight to see him walking off the pitch. He’s frustrated because he was playing well on Sunday. He was looking forward to getting a run of games but it wasn’t to be.”

Agger, meanwhile, is making slow progress after suffering a calf injury in the win over Sparta Prague in the last round of the Europa League. The Dane, another who has suffered tremendously with injuries during his time on Merseyside, received a kick to the leg during the 1-0 success at Anfield a fortnight ago, and Brukner says Thursday’s clash in Portugal has come too soon for the 26-year-old.

“Daniel had a nasty kick on a joint to the side of his knee,” he said, “It’s an unusual spot to get an injury. They take time and he’s a bit of a slow healer.

“He’s still not 100 per cent so we’ll have to see if he’s fit for the game this week. But it’s more likely to be the following week.”

Kenny Dalglish Calls For Consistency Following Victory Over Manchester United

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish believes his team must become more consistent and go on a winning run after victory against leaders Manchester United on Sunday.

The Scot is well aware his team’s resounding 3-1 win will be for nothing if they drop points down the line. Liverpool’s previous game in the league was their 3-1 defeat to relegation-threatened West Ham and Dalglish recognizes that his team must show more consistency.

"It is three points but it is not the end of the season for us just because we have had a fantastic result against a team leading the table," he told reporters.

"If we play like that against any team we would be happy with the performance, and it shows you what the players can do and want to do.

"But you can never take away the disappointment of West Ham. We can use that as a reference point."

The Reds' win keeps them in with a chance of qualifying for the Europa League this season, a target which at times has looked unlikely.

Dalglish reverted back to a 4-4-2 formation after experimenting with a 3-5-2 shape since their game with Stoke City in February, and the Scot was quick to praise his team for adapting so quickly against the table-topping United, with Dirk Kuyt and Luis Suarez coming in for particular acclaim.

"You cannot carry anyone in a game against United, everyone has to play," he added.

"Dirk rightly got the headlines for the hat-trick but Luis put in a fantastic performance.

"I have always believed that it is about people so you can have any formation you want, it is the players that make it.

"They were fantastic and it did not matter what formation they played, formation was irrelevant."

Liverpool Have A Promising Future - Dirk Kuyt

Dirk Kuyt believes that Liverpool have a promising future due to the arrivals of Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez.

The 30-year-old scored a hat-trick for his side en route to a mammoth victory over Manchester United, whose title chase has been complicated due to suffering two consecutive losses - first against Chelsea, and now the Reds.

The Dutchman has had to play on the wing on several occasions, but manager Kenny Dalglish has restored him to playing as a forward alongside Suarez.

The pair have combined well so far, but the former Feyenoord man remains happy to contribute in any way he can - with Carroll having made just his debut.

"I just want to be important for the club and the team and if the manager wants to play me up front I am more than happy to do it," Kuyt said, according to The Mirror.

"I think it is clicking well with Luis. I gave an assist to him and he gave a couple to me so it is working out quite well.

"And with Andy coming on for his first couple of minutes it looks very promising for the future.

"The manager has plenty of options up front, and hopefully the three of us can play well together."

Kuyt also thanked his team-mates for contributing to his hat-trick, with a special mention for Suarez as the Uruguay international was in stellar form during the game.

"It was very special to score a hat-trick, but I have to thank my team-mates, and especially Luis, who played brilliantly," he said.

"His influence since he arrived here is really good. He scored in his first game, he was very close to scoring against Wigan and he created a goal against West Ham for Glen Johnson.

"For him to be at his best after just a couple of weeks at the club is impossible. But he has shown the will he has to be a great player for Liverpool and I think there is a lot more to see and expect from him."

Suarez Wants More Games

Luis Suarez insists Liverpool fans will have to wait before seeing the best of him.

The Uruguayan shone in the weekend win over Manchester United, which had Reds fans purring over their £23million capture from Ajax.

But Suarez, who was forced to serve a lengthy domestic ban before joining Liverpool, has now found himself having to wait for games.

Suarez cannot play in Liverpool's Europa League campaign as he is ineligible, while the club are also out of the FA Cup, meaning he can only feature in the Premier League games, so that will mean over the next month he will only play twice at the most.

"It is very difficult to play one week and then wait two weeks for the next chance," he bemoaned.

"It is hard for me to get to the right level physically, so it will take some time before the fans see my best - but I'm working towards that every day."

Suarez produced a moment of magic to unlock United's defence for the opening goal on Sunday, and he would have claimed the goal had Dirk Kuyt not put the finishing touch to it just before it crossed.

But he says there are no complaints from him about Kuyt taking the goal, adding: "I spoke with Kuyt about the first goal but it's not important who scored it, I'm just happy it went in!

"It is great for a new player, someone who has played only three games since coming to Liverpool, to have the support of the public like I did on Sunday. It was fantastic."

Kuyt has already sung Suarez's praises and Brazilian ace Lucas Leiva has joined the chorus of those backing the striker to be a huge success.

"He has already settled and looks like he has been here for a long time," said Lucas.

"He is really happy and we have helped him to settle, especially outside of the training ground.

"You have to give him the confidence to show what he can do and he has already shown what he is capable of doing.

"We are happy because when you lose a striker like Fernando you expect to have another one.

"He is a fighter, he has a lot of quality, is very strong and quick and can change the game.

"What he did against United was good, especially the first goal, where he did a great job."

Brazilian Target Delighted With 'Famous' Liverpool Interest

Liverpool are reportedly still in the race to sign Brazilian defender Rafinha.

The Genoa full-back has been on the radar of a number of Barclays Premier League clubs for some time now, with the player revealing that the Anfield outfit made an enquiry last year.

“I had an offer from Liverpool a year ago but Shalke asked for too much money, the value was set too high and negotiations came to an end," the 25-year-old told the Independent newspaper.

Having since moved to Serie 'A', Rafinha is still happy to admit his interest in a potential switch to England, with Spurs also thought to be in the running. Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid lead the chase for Europe, according to the player.

“Again, I was very glad to know my performances had brought interest from a famous team like Liverpool," the player continued.

"Now Tottenham, Bayern Munich and Atlético Madrid are talking about me and this makes me very happy. I have to work hard and who knows, in the future maybe I will be playing in the Premier League, a competition I love and I follow."

Valued in the region of €10 million, Rafinha is a regular in the right back position but can also play on the opposite side, a problem area for Liverpool.

With Paul Konchesky failing to impress at Anfield after his summer arrival and Fabio Aurelio thought to be a second choice for Kenny Dalglish, the Liverpool boss is believed to be in the market for a defender.

NESV, the club's new owners, proved in January that they are willing to back the manager financially and Dalglish will look to spend their cash on developing the Liverpool squad further at the end of the season.

Liverpool & Tottenham In Fresh Link To Mirko Vucinic

Liverpool and Tottenham are reportedly monitoring the situation of Roma striker Mirko Vucinic with great interest.

Speculation surrounding the 27-year-old's future has increased in recent days after Vucinic's agent hinted that his client could be on his way out of the Stadio Olimpico in the summer.

According to Metro, Liverpool and Spurs have been alerted to the Montenegro international's potential availability but Napoli remains the favourites for his signature.

"Vucinic is always linked with Napoli," his representative Alessandro Lucci told Italian radio station CRC.

"His contract at Roma is until 2013, and he feels fine there and with the club but nothing is impossible in football, and Napoli is fascinating for him.

"They are a team going places and they know they can reach important objectives.

"Edinson Cavani, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Vucinic would form a devastating trio. They would be the best in Europe.

"But at the moment, no one knows what will happen with Roma in terms of players being sold."

Despite Liverpool signing Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll for a combined £58 million in January, the Anfield club is alleged to still be on the lookout for goalscoring reinforcements.

Liverpool director of football strategy Damien Comolli is known to have identified a number of potential new summer recruits, but whether Vucinic is on his radar in the pursuit of more potent attacking options remains to be seen.

The €25 million-rated striker has been linked with a move to Liverpool in the past and - should the Reds decide to formalize their reported interest - it seems they will have to fight off Spurs in the race for Vucinic.

Spurs are seemingly desperate to land a high-profile striker in the summer having missed out on a number of targets during the winter transfer window.

Fernando Llorente, Sergio Aguero and Giuseppe Rossi were all said to be targeted by Spurs during January and the north London club are preparing to spend heavily when the transfer window reopens.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp has previously stated the Tottenham owners' willingness to splash around £30 million on a marquee singing and it could prove to be an enthralling summer of transfer activity at White Hart Lane.

Stevan Jovetić Was Targeted By Reds Last Season

Liverpool tried to sign Fiorentina striker Stevan Jovetic last season, the player's agent has confirmed.

Jovetic is regarded as one of the top young players in Italy after moving to the Viola from Partizan Belgrade for €8 million in 2008, and Fali Ramadani has revealed that the Anfield outfit made enquiries about his client last term.

"I can confirm that last season Liverpool asked me for Stevan," the agent told calciomercato.com.

"The deal didn't materialize because the player wanted to stay in Florence."

21-year-old Jovetic is yet to feature for his club this term after picking up a serious injury in pre-season, but the future remains bright for the Montenegro international who made his international debut as a young teenager.

It's thought that former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez was behind the offer for the player, who was also linked with the Merseysiders in the summer after the arrival of Roy Hodgson.

Despite Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll joining the Reds in January, it's thought that current Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish is still considering a move for another striker in the summer.

NESV proved that they are willing to back the manager financially, but it's unclear if Liverpool will look to move for Jovetic again.

Kenny Dalglish Insists Liverpool Have To ‘Temper Enthusiasm’ Of Andy Carroll

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish has praised Andy Carroll after the striker made his long-awaited debut for the club in the 3-1 victory over Manchester United at Anfield.

The £35 million record signing came on as a substitute in the 74th minute with the game all but won for the Reds, and Dalglish feels that although the former Newcastle man has to "temper his enthusiasm a bit", he can go on to become a Kop legend.

He said: "He is a good guy. He is not someone who thinks he is superior to anyone else, he just loves playing football and wants to be part and parcel of the club.

"We have to temper his enthusiasm a bit. He is only a young lad, he is going to be big player for this club."

The victory moved Dalglish's side up to sixth in the table but the Scot has insisted that his side have a long way to go before they will be at their arch rivals' level.

He said: "Manchester United are a benchmark for everyone, are they not still top?

"There is no-one who would rather be in their own position than United's.

"The closer you get to the top the more difficult it is to close the gap.

"Moving from 20th to sixth is not as big a problem as moving from two to one so the higher you go the more difficult the step up is.

"United are a great benchmark but our season is not finished.

"We got our reward for the victory in three points in the league, but we just want to keep going and get as many as we possibly can.

"The owners [Fenway Sports Group] are determined to move the club forward within reason. Whatever that is going to be, they will do their best to provide it.

"But the players who played there did not do themselves any harm in terms of being part of the club going forward."

The victory was somewhat of a revenge story for the Scot after Sir Alex Ferguson's side knocked the Reds out of the FA Cup in Dalglish's first match since taking over from Roy Hodgson in January, but the Liverpool chief said that the games were completely different affairs.

He said: "It was a totally different story. They got given a penalty after a minute and we had our captain sent off after 30.

"It was really different to what this was but everybody was disciplined, well tuned in to what they had to do, wanted to do it and did it."

Jamie Carragher Barred From Manchester United Dressing Room Following Nani Tackle

Jamie Carragher was refused entry to the Manchester United dressing-room on Sunday after attempting to apologize for the challenge which left Nani with a gash so deep that the winger’s shin bone was visible through the open wound.

Nani will discover on Tuesday whether he will be sidelined until next month as a result of the injury inflicted by Carragher’s first-half tackle during the 3-1 defeat at Anfield - which resulted in referee Phil Dowd brandishing a yellow card to the Liverpool defender.

Although Carragher made efforts to show his remorse for the injury suffered by Nani, United’s coaching staff turned the 33 year-old away due to the anger within the United camp, not only with the challenge, but Dowd’s failure to dismiss the former England defender.

Steven Gerrard’s actions in urging the injured Nani to "get up" while he lay on the ground with the injury clearly visibly also infuriated United’s players and staff.

Anger at Carragher’s challenge also spread to the directors’ box, where United chief executive David Gill remonstrated with Mike Riley, head of Premier League referees, over Dowd’s response to the incident.

Nani, who was stretchered off as a result of the injury, left Anfield on crutches and United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is already preparing to be without the Portugal international for Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final tie against Arsenal at Old Trafford.

Liverpool Wonderkid Sends Another Huge Message To King Kenny

Liverpool starlet Raheem Sterling showed further glimpses of his potential in a 5-1 thrashing of Blackburn.

The teenager has been earning rave reviews for his performances in both the youth and reserve teams at Liverpool, and scored again in the beating over Rovers just days before an FA Youth Cup clash against Manchester United.

Sterling was part of the Reds senior squad that traveled to Prague for the Europa League clash against Sparta last month, but didn't feature despite huge media speculation surrounding the 16-year-old.

Kenny Dalglish is keen to keep the former QPR academy player out of the spotlight, but his stock continues to rise rapidly, and only a fortnight ago the player scored five for the Liverpool U18s in a 9-0 win over Southend.

Liverpool signed the player for £600,000 just over a year ago, but that figure could rise to £5 million depending on future appearances at Anfield.

Sterling is one of a handful of players impressing for Rodolfo Borrell's side, and the youngsters showed great character after coming from a goal down to beat the visitors.

Adam Morgan (2), Conor Coady and Krisztian Adorjan also got on the score sheet for the young Liverpool side, and the future appears bright for Kenny Dalglish and the Merseysiders.

Match Report: Liverpool 3 - 1 Manchester United

Liverpool's fully deserved 3-1 victory over Manchester United at Anfield may not ultimately prevent their arch-rivals surpassing the Reds' 18 league titles at the end of the season.

It has, however, dented Sir Alex Ferguson's side's hopes of a straightforward run-in and at the same time restored some pride for the Reds after two defeats at Old Trafford already this campaign.

Dirk Kuyt grabbed the headlines with a first Liverpool hat-trick against United since Peter Beardsley's in September 1990, before Javier Hernandez headed an injury-time consolation - but there were many more who deserved the plaudits.

Tireless livewire Luis Suarez had a hand in all three goals while Lucas Leiva and Raul Meireles produced impressive midfield performances.

The afternoon was capped off with a long-awaited debut for £35million record signing Andy Carroll after more than two months on the sidelines with a thigh injury.

For United their second-choice central defensive partnership of Wes Brown and Chris Smalling, deputizing for the suspended Nemanja Vidic and injured Rio Ferdinand, never looked comfortable on an afternoon when very few of visiting team reached anywhere near the exacting standards Ferguson demands.

They still remain top of the table, and it is difficult to bet against them being in that position come May, but two defeats in five days - having lost at Chelsea in midweek - leave plenty of questions to be answered.

While Carroll had claimed all the adulation prior to kick-off, when the action got going it was his fellow January arrival Suarez who had an effect where it mattered most.

The Uruguay international, a £22.7million transfer from Ajax, had one early effort prodded at Edwin van der Sar but that was merely a precursor to a piece of brilliance to set up the opener.

When he collected the ball on the left of the penalty area his route to goal was blocked by a number of opponents but his quick feet saw him weave past Rafael, Michael Carrick and Wes Brown on his way to the byline.

From there he squared the ball through Van der Sar's legs to present Kuyt with a tap-in from just inches.

Suarez could claim to have had a hand in the next one too - but the main credit had to go to Nani, who had a defensive aberration.

The Portugal international inexplicably headed the Uruguayan's cross back into his own six-yard area where Kuyt gleefully nodded in.

Liverpool's lead was fully deserved but it had been United who had come closest to scoring prior to Kuyt's 34th-minute strike.

Dimitar Berbatov, scorer of a match-winning hat-trick in their Old Trafford league encounter, volleyed Wayne Rooney's knockdown against the outside of Jose Reina's right-hand post.

The rivalry between the teams, England's dominant pairing over the last four decades, was evident in the closing stages of the first half.

Jamie Carragher, switched to right-back after Fabio Aurelio went off injured, was lucky to escape with just a booking after a reckless shin-high tackle on Nani.

After the ensuing melee Nani departed on a stretcher, replaced by Javier Hernandez, and Van der Sar was cautioned.

Rafael also benefited from referee Phil Dowd's leniency after a high challenge on Lucas Leiva earned him, and Martin Skrtel for his retaliation, a booking.

The second half began with United, not unexpectedly, having their best spell and for 20 minutes it appeared a goal was imminent.

Ryan Giggs, breaking Sir Bobby Charlton's record of 606 league appearances, met Rooney's cross with a first-time shot which whistled just over the crossbar to serve as a warning that the game was far from finished.

Meireles had to clear off the line for the second time in the match to prevent Berbatov's close-range header going in while Giggs curled an 18-yard free-kick over.

More gaps were appearing in the visitors' defence, though, and when Kuyt put Meireles clean through Van der Sar came to the rescue by palming his angled shot away.

The Dutchman was at fault in the 65th minute, however, when he spilled Suarez's free-kick and his compatriot knocked in the rebound.

Carroll's long-awaited debut arrived in the 74th minute when he replaced Meireles to a rapturous reception and his first touch was a goalbound header.

Kuyt's supreme confidence saw him attempt a 25-yard volley which screamed wide while Gerrard twice hit low shots either side of each post.

Hernandez scored a late headed consolation from Giggs' cross in added time but it hardly raised a cheer among the visiting fans.

Dalglish Impact Proves He's Only Man For The Job

Liverpool's American owners would be making a huge mistake if they delay their decision on a permanent manager at Anfield until the end of the season, because, in Kenny Dalglish, they already have the only man for the job.

If you had taken a poll of 100 Liverpool supporters last Christmas and offered them a choice of Kenny or Jose Mourinho to succeed Roy Hodgson, Kenny's standing at the club would have ensured he would probably have won by 75-25.

But the same vote now would see him win 100-nil because of the impact he has had at Anfield since returning in January. Any manager other than Kenny would now be a disappointment for the club's supporters, but that's because of the turnaround on the pitch during his two months in charge rather than his status as a god-like figure at Anfield.

Now is the time to give him the job on a full-time basis because the challenge at Liverpool is getting the club back into the Champions League and the planning for next season needs to start now.

If Kenny does not know whether or not he will here next season, then he cannot start to look for the players that the team need to improve.

Kenny being Kenny, he still believes that he can get Liverpool into the Champions League this season and he will be focusing on getting the team as close as possible to that objective.

When I played under him in 1986, we had just lost to Everton and I told Kenny that it was the worst Liverpool team that I had played in. But he still believed the team could achieve something and, 10 weeks later, we ended the season by winning the double.

Back then, he spoke about the need to get some impetus going and that is what he will be thinking now. He has now generated that by getting the team winning, lifting morale and the victory against Manchester United, following on from the win at Chelsea last month, has given the club real impetus.

So the time is right for the owners to hand Kenny a full-time contract because it would give the club another boost and allow everybody to turn their attentions to getting Liverpool back to where those at Anfield believe they belong.

There is a theory that the owners might not want to stick with Kenny in the long-term because he is such a powerful figure that he could put them in an impossible position if things go wrong.

But for all of Kenny's popularity, if his team are lying fourth from bottom and producing rubbish, the supporters would not put up with it, regardless of who he is. And there would not be a problem with Kenny working with Damien Comolli, Liverpool's director of football, so long as Kenny had the final say on the players he brought in.

Kenny has changed the whole mood of the club. It is now a completely different place to walk into compared to the dark days of last November.

On the pitch too, there is a different ethos. In the past, if the likes of Rafa Benitez, Roy Hodgson or Gerard Houllier played with two holding midfielders, you would expect to see eight men behind the ball. But against United, Liverpool had two holding midfielders, yet they attacked the Premier League leaders and were rewarded for doing so.

The cynics that claimed that Kenny had been out of the game too long when he came back have all been proved wrong because they overlooked the reality that all the changes in football over the last 10 years have happened off the pitch.

A flat back-four is the same as it was in 1977, just as it was in 1937! It will be the same again in 2097.

Kenny's knowledge of the game and the players involved is still as detailed as it has always been and maybe the proof of that has come with the results that Liverpool have had under him.

I don't see anybody out there who could do the job better than Kenny and hopefully the owners will not wait much longer before making it a permanent appointment.

At 60, he is still young enough for the job and he will also be cheap. There will be no compensation fee required to get Kenny to sign a contract and it would make perfect sense to make the decision now.