Rodgers - I've Lots To Prove

Brendan Rodgers is pleased with the start he has made to his Liverpool career, but is determined to keep fighting to prove he is good enough to be in the job.

Liverpool plumped for Rodgers to replace Kenny Dalglish earlier in the summer and the former Swansea manager has enjoyed a winning start to his tenure.

Victories in both legs over FC Gomel have set up a Europa League play-off date with Hearts later this month, while the Premier League season begins on Saturday against West Brom.

Rodgers is aware that he may still have to win over some skeptical Liverpool fans following just one season of top-flight management before his Anfield appointment.

However, Rodgers has vowed to give his all to bring success to the club and is eager to build on a promising beginning to his career on Merseyside.

"I do feel at home but I will never be complacent," said Rodgers after Sunday's friendly win over Bayer Leverkusen. "I will come in and I'm sure the majority of supporters are still not sure about me.

"I've got so much to prove here. I have got to fight for my life to prove I am good enough to be here. I feel comfortable in relation to my position and work on the field. My promise was to fight for the club every single day.

"We're in a good moment and a good position. We've had a terrific pre-season and we've already started our competitive games in the Europa League. We now arrive into the Barclays Premier League next week with a real strong mindset and hopefully that can continue.

"Certainly, I am very, very pleased with where we're at. The players have shown great determination and they want to learn. They're very happy to work in this way.

"I am delighted with where we're at because I know the vision and where this leads too, and hopefully it will continue to improve."

Sterling Impresses Rodgers

Brendan Rodgers was full of praise for teenage winger Raheem Sterling after his goalscoring display at Anfield on Sunday.

The 17-year-old scored the opener as Liverpool produced a convincing display to beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-1.

Lucas Leiva and Andy Carroll were also on target against the Bundesliga side but it was Sterling's outstanding performance that caught the eye and Rodgers was impressed.

"The boy is a talent," the Reds boss told the Liverpool Echo.

"He still has an awful lot to do and an awful lot to learn, but he's shown over pre-season that from a young guy who just worries about himself, he now worries about the team and the responsibility within the team.

"I was pleased with the goal as a whole. If you look back at the images of it, it was good pressure on one side of the field when we won the ball and took it out of the pressure zone.

"I like wingers to play with width, and by the time the ball got to Jose Enrique, he was in a great position.

"His movement off the ball was very impressive - he's made a great run and Jose played a terrific pass, and the rest was that imagination and creativity that I love when he cut inside and scored with a wonderful finish."

Agger Wants Reds Stay

Daniel Agger has admitted he would like to stay at Liverpool, but admits the situation is out of his hands.

Manchester City and Barcelona are chasing Agger with Premier League champions City believed to have seen two bids already rejected for the classy central defender.

City is thought to be readying a third bid for Agger with Roberto Mancini keen to bring in the defender before the close of the transfer window.

It has been suggested Liverpool could be prepared to sell Agger for the right price as they could use the funds to strengthen the squad elsewhere.

Agger, who is away on international duty with Denmark for Wednesday's friendly with Slovenia, claims he is unaware of interest in his services and hopes he can stay at Anfield.

"No, I haven't heard anything, Agger told Ekstra Bladet when asked about his future.

"That is how the club wants to do it. I would prefer to stay.

"I can't imagine playing for other clubs in England. But, you never know if the club prefers to sell me."

Agger has recently had a new tattoo with the initials of the famous Liverpool song 'You'll Never Walk Alone' on his knuckles and the 27-year-old insists the artwork has nothing to do with his current situation.

"It has nothing to do with my current situation," added Agger. "It is a gesture towards the Kop, towards Liverpool and towards the people around the club."

Reds Hopeful On Skrtel Deal

Sky Sports understands Liverpool is close to agreeing a new deal with defender Martin Skrtel.

Skrtel's future at Anfield has been the subject of speculation this summer with the Slovakian claiming he was aware of interest from other club's in his services.

The 27-year-old, who joined Liverpool in January 2008, enjoyed his best season at Anfield last term, winning the club's Player of the Year award.

Skrtel has two years to run on his current contract, but Reds boss Brendan Rodgers is keen to secure his long-term future.

Rodgers sees Skrtel as a key member of his future plans on Merseyside and is ready to reward with a new contract.

Liverpool tied down Luis Suarez down to a long-term contract earlier this month and they hope Skrtel will soon follow suit.

Lucas Impressed By Allen

Lucas Leiva has revealed how Joe Allen is already impressing his new Liverpool team-mates in training.

The Wales international joined the Reds for a reported fee of £15million earlier this month and comes with a reputation for his excellent technique and ball retention skills.

Lucas admits that is already shining through at the club's Melwood training base.

"He had a training session with us and we can see what a quality player he is so hopefully he can be a key player for us during the season," the 25-year-old told the club's official website.

"It's one more player to fight for a place and it's really good for the club. We need more than 11 players to be successful.

"He had a good season last year and he had a great tournament in the Olympics as well. He has confidence and he has experience so hopefully he will do well for us."

Liverpool's season has already begun, having beaten Gomel of Belarus over two legs to qualify for the Europa League play-off round.

And the Brazil international believes there is an advantage to be gained from already having played meaningful football prior to Saturday's Premier League opener against West Brom.

"It's always important to play a competitive game and we had the chance to play two before the Premier League season starts," he added.

"That will give us a good momentum and confidence to have a good start in the Premier League.

"We still have another week to train but I think it was a positive pre-season for us. We have spent a lot of time working and training with the new manager and we will be ready for the start of the new season.

"Hopefully we can start with a good win."

Lucas is wary of setting targets so early in the season but admits a top-four finish must be the aim.

"Of course we have been doing well in pre-season but now it will be a big test for us," said the former Gremio man.

"I think we will have a better idea when the season starts. Let's go game by game and see what we are able to achieve, but hopefully we can get a Champions League spot which is what we are looking for.

"We can see many clubs competing for the top four so it's not going to be easy, unlike four years ago when maybe we only had four teams.

"This is a very difficult league to play in and we just have to make sure we approach every game really well and improve in every game."

Liverpool Fans Want Walcott Transfer

Liverpool fans have spoken, and it’s clear they want winger Theo Walcott to be the next major addition at Anfield this summer.

With the transfer window in full swing, the Reds have been linked with a number of top players after adding the services of Welsh international Joe Allen last week.

Manager Brendan Rodgers doesn’t appear to have ended his business there either, with Walcott one of a handful of players the Northern Irishman is being linked with.

GiveMeFootball decided to ask supporters which player they wanted to sign next, listing a number of speculated targets as options, and over 20,000 fans came back with their response.

An emphatic 58% (11,907) chose England international Walcott as the man they want on Merseyside, with the 23-year-old yet to agree a new deal with Arsenal despite having just 12-months left on his contract.

Proven in the Premier League, the former Southampton starlet moved to the Emirates Stadium in 2006, and has been a regular in Arsene Wenger’s over the last few years. Signed for a revised £9.1 million, it’s unclear how much Walcott would cost in the current market.

Second in the minds of Liverpool fans is Manchester City winger Adam Johnson, who is thought to be surplus to requirements at the Etihad Stadium as manager Roberto Mancini continues to spend big money.

13% (2,718) of fans believe the former Middlesbrough starlet is the answer to their problems, and Johnson would certainly add some width and delivery for striker Andy Carroll.

Gaston Ramirez was close behind with 11% (2191) of votes, the Uruguayan international impressing over the last couple of years both in Serie ‘A’ and for La Celeste.

Speculation that the former Penarol starlet has completed an £18million move to the club appears premature however, and it would seem that not all fans want the move to happen.

American international Clint Dempsey comes next with 9% (1805) of the vote, whilst Real Madrid playmaker Nuri Sahin brings up the rear with just 7% (1414) of the vote.

After such an impressive campaign last season, Dempsey could have expected better support from the Liverpool fans, but it appears they aren’t interested in a move that could see Scottish international Charlie Adam move in the opposite direction.

Turkish international Sahin is being linked with a number of other top clubs in England, but interest in the player is small scale at Anfield, suggesting his future may lay elsewhere.

2% of voters chose ‘other’ as their next signing, suggesting that not everyone is happy with the targets currently on the table.

Liverpool Linked With Benfica Midfielder

Liverpool could continue their summer recruitment drive with a move for Benfica midfielder Nolito.

New Anfield manager Brendan Rodgers will be well aware of the former Barcelona star after modelling his former club Swansea's style on the Catalan side and spending time studying their training sessions.

The 25-year-old has just spent his first season away from Barca at the Portuguese club but has not enjoyed the experience and is desperate to leave, according to newspaper Record.

talkSPORT revealed in May that Nolito's agent Oscar Font had revealed Liverpool were interested in his client but the move could finally come off now Rogers is in charge and the player is unsettled.

Nolito is under contract at Benfica until 2016 and has a buyout clause of £39m but could be available on loan after making his unhappiness known.

Nuri Sahin Set To Decide On Future

Real Madrid's in-demand Nuri Sahin is set to decide on his future this week after Liverpool joined Arsenal in making a loan offer for the midfielder.

The Turkish international has been told he can leave the league champions on-loan after failing to establish himself in Jose Mourinho's midfield, making just 10 appearances following his move from Borussia Dortmund.

Arsenal had been in pole position to land Sahin last week, after manager Arsene Wenger personally phoned him to convince him to join the Gunners, but the talented playmaker has since had a plethora of offers from across Europe.

AC Milan, Lyon and Turkish duo Galatasaray and Besiktas have all been linked with moves, while Liverpool is understood to have made an offer over the weekend.

Sahin, who has been heavily involved with the Madrid squad in pre-season, is also considering staying at the Bernabeu, after impressing Mourinho whilst operating as a left-back on their tour of the United States.

A decision is expected sometime this week, with Sahin due to meet with his agent to discuss the future, but the Premier League and Arsenal looks the most likely destination at present.

The player is keen to move to England if he does opt to leave, and wants Champions League football, despite being drawn in by the history and tradition of Liverpool.

Gunners boss Wenger has already told Madrid he will happily cover Sahin's wages for the season, but they are yet to agree terms on a loan fee.

Match Report: Liverpool 3 - 1 Bayer Leverkusen

Out-of-favour striker Andy Carroll capped a comfortable 3-1 victory for Liverpool over Bayer Leverkusen in their final pre-season friendly before they kick off their Barclays' Premier League campaign.

It took just three minutes for the home side to break the deadlock at Anfield through youngster Raheem Sterling. The 17-year-old latched on to an incisive ball from Jose Enrique down the left before cutting inside to curl a shot into the bottom corner past Bernd Leno in the Leverkusen goal.

Liverpool's second of the match came on the 29th minute from a free-kick won by Luis Suarez who was brought down by Daniel Schwaab on the edge of the area.

The cleverly worked set piece found Suarez unmarked in the area, who got the ball stuck under his feet before it was deflected into the path of Lucas who side-footed home into an open goal from six yards out.

A goalkeeping blunder allowed Liverpool to get their third of the match on 65 minutes when Carroll turned nicely on the ball before firing a routine shot from outside the area goalwards that Leno fumbled into the back of the net.

The visitors snatched a consolation through Gonzalo Castro on 75 minutes when he shrugged off Jamie Carragher and unleashed a fierce left-footed shot that sailed past Pepe Reina in the Liverpool goal.

Carroll Adapting To Style

Brendan Rodgers believes he is seeing evidence of his inherited Liverpool squad, including Andy Carroll, adapting to his preferred style of play but he remains determined to sign more players.

The new Anfield boss on Sunday oversaw a 3-1 victory against Bayer Leverkusen on Merseyside as the Premier League club concluded their pre-season with a win.

Teenager Raheem Sterling opened the scoring in style before Lucas Leiva took another step on his return from injury with a goal and substitute Carroll then added a third.

England international Carroll is not thought to figure in Rodgers' plans and the £35million striker is a target of West Ham United, while a return to Newcastle United is also possible.

But Rodgers thinks the tall and powerful 23-year-old, who has been accused of only being able to play in a direct system, showed good skill when turning and firing a comparatively straightforward shot which was fumbled by Leverkusen goalkeeper Bernd Leno.

Rodgers said of Carroll on Liverpool's official website: "It was a terrific goal from him. It was a nice, clever piece of play by Charlie Adam as the ball came into him and he flicked it around the corner.

"Maybe eight or nine times out of 10 he would have expected that (the ball) back, but big Andy showed his skill and ability as well.

"He's got stick that he can't play this way, but it was a wonderful piece of skill letting the ball go through his legs, getting the shot on target and tucking the ball away very well. It was very pleasing all round.

"The players had a wonderful idea of the game tactically and I am seeing an improvement every single day in terms of our passing game."

Rodgers' £15million signing, Joe Allen, was in the stands at Anfield to watch the win over Leverkusen having followed his manager to Liverpool from Swansea after a transfer was confirmed on Friday.

And Rodgers, who had already signed another former Swansea player in Fabio Borini, remains determined for the Wales international to not be the final new face at Anfield before the end of August.

He said: "Joe will fit into the group very well. I like technically gifted players, and he is exceptionally technically gifted.

"But I also like good people and he is a very humble young guy. He knows he is 22 years of age and has an awful lot to learn but he will be with us every single day in the journey to make this club better.

"He is a very talented boy and he comes into an excellent group. Hopefully we can add one or two more before the end of the window."

Rodgers was also full of praise for Brazilian midfielder Lucas, who was ruled out from last November after suffering a serious knee ligament injury.

He joked: "He has been brilliant. He is a terrific guy and he is prolific from seven yards with no goalkeeper!

"You have seen the growth of him as a player and a person, and the journey he's been on at this club is incredible. He still feels he has a lot to offer. How I work in liking to play this high, intense pressing and passing game brings on his fitness.

"I think if you look at him now, he is in a real good moment. Hopefully he can stay fit and strong and keep pushing on for us."

Hyypia: I Like Brendan's Style

Sami Hyypia believes Liverpool's style of play under Brendan Rodgers will make them one of the toughest teams to beat in the Barclays Premier League this season.

The Kop legend watched on as his Bayer Leverkusen side was dismantled 3-1 by the Reds in a friendly contest at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.

Afterwards, Hyypia conceded Liverpool had made it difficult for his players - but he doesn't think the Germans will be the last team to leave Andfield having endured a hard afternoon.

He told reporters: "Liverpool played very well yesterday. He (Rodgers) has changed the face a little bit and created a new system which is difficult to play against.

"It is good to be back, but I came here to win the game. It was a friendly so the most important thing was to prepare the team for the season, which starts in a week's time.

"Of course, from defeat you can't take that much self confidence for the season, but there were a lot of good things in the game today.

"Time will tell (if Liverpool will be successful), but I hope so. Since I left, I've always hoped Liverpool will do well - and hopefully this season they will."

Hyypia was given a warm reception by Liverpool fans as he returned to Anfield for the first time in an opposing capacity since leaving the club in 2009 after 10 years of sterling service.

He added: "I have always had a good relationship with the fans and they were great, as always. I am grateful I had the chance to come back here."

Liverpool's Wish To Play Allen In Friendly Against Leverkusen Was Blocked

Joe Allen was blocked from making his Liverpool debut on Sunday after Swansea City refused to grant special dispensation for him to play in a pre-season friendly.

Allen signed for his new club after a 5pm deadline on Friday. He needed to be registered with the Premier League before then so he could face Bayer Leverkusen at Anfield yesterday.

Despite being signed outside Premier League office hours, Allen would still have been free to play had the selling club given Liverpool their permission.

Still upset by Allen’s departure, Swansea City refused a request by the Merseyside club and the Wales international was forced to watch from the stands.

Liverpool won, with Andy Carroll among the goalscorers, and Allen will now join the Wales squad to face Bosnia in midweek.

His debut for his new club is now likely to be the first Premier League game of the season against West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns next Saturday.

Although frustrated he was unable to integrate Allen into the squad, Brendan Rodgers, the Liverpool manager formerly in charge of Swansea, was pleased the £15 million signing was finally complete.

“Joe will fit in very well. I like technically gifted players and I like good people, and he is a very humble young guy. He is a very talented boy,” said Rodgers.

Hodgson Happy With Liverpool's Carroll Report

Roy Hodgson has revealed he approached Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers for a report on striker Andy Carroll.

And the England boss claimed Rodgers was glowing in his praise for the 23-year-old Geordie.

Carroll’s future at Anfield has been the subject of constant speculation throughout the summer with potential moves to Newcastle and West Ham leading the headlines.

And having named the forward in the 23-man England squad for Wednesday night’s friendly against Italy, Hodgson took the time to get an update on his club form.

"I checked Andy out with Brendan Rodgers and Steven Gerrard because I realize there is a situation there," Hodgson told Sky Sports.

"They were both happy with Andy in training and the way he is going about his business."

And despite the fact that none of his three chosen strikers - Daniel Sturridge, Jermain Defoe and Carroll - is a regular starters at club level, Hodgson remains happy with his options up front.

"We have to accept that a lot of our front players aren't first choices at their clubs," the former West Bromwich Albion manager continued.

"There are a lot of foreign centre-forwards at the big clubs in the Premier League so it's not easy for our boys sometimes.

"But Andy Carroll did well when he played in the Euros and I have no worries putting him in this squad."

Hodgson is using the friendly against Italy to gain a closer look at some potential young stars, with Tottenham’s Jake Livermore called up after receiving similarly excellent reports from his club’s coaching staff.

"Jake did well at Tottenham last year," added Hodgson.

"I had a long chat with Andre Villas-Boas and Tim Sherwood about him. They are impressed so it was a good chance to have a look for myself.

"A couple of players dropped out so Jake has been promoted up from the reserve list."

The Italy game has largely gone under the radar with the country being gripped by Olympic fever, but Hodgson is delighted with what has been a wholly successful Games for Team GB.

"I'd love to tap into the whole Olympic atmosphere," said Hodgson.

"I've been really impressed by the whole organization, the coaches and in particular the athletes, who have done an outstanding job.

"The impressive aspect is the manner in which they have won medals and embraced their victory.

"It's been very refreshing to see talented people showing a good face to the nation and the world at large.

"The way that Team GB have conducted themselves in a home Olympics must make the world of athletics very pleased and proud.

"So many of them have done such a great PR job."

Rodgers To Offer Adam As Bait

Liverpool is ready to offer Fulham cash and Charlie Adam in an attempt to wrap up a deal for Clint Dempsey.

After concluding a move for Joe Allen, Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers will now step up his attempts to land the American international, who is keen to leave Craven Cottage for a bigger club.

Liverpool have been keen on the forward ever since Rodgers took charge but have been unable to agree a deal with Fulham, who value Dempsey in the region of £10million.

However, Rodgers now hopes to twist their arm by throwing in 26-year-old midfielder Adam as part of the deal.

Fulham want a new creative midfielder to replace Danny Murphy and Adam would fit the bill perfectly.

Adam no longer figures in the plans of Rodgers following the £15million arrival of Allen from Swansea, and as long as the former Blackpool man is open to a move to Fulham, a deal could be on the cards.

Liverpool Lining Up Shock Move For Michael Dawson

Tottenham's Michael Dawson has emerged as a transfer target of Liverpool, who fear they are about to lose Daniel Agger to Manchester City.

The Premier League champions are keen to reinforce their defence and see Agger as the ideal option.

However, that would leave Anfield chief Brendan Rodgers extremely light at the back, so he has moved to set the wheels in motion for a bid for Dawson.

Liverpool are asking for £22million plus Adam Johnson on loan in return for letting Agger leave - and Caught Offside noted it is not yet known whether City will agree to such a demand.

If they do and Agger heads for the Etihad Stadium, it seems Dawson is the ideal replacement.

Although he is not unhappy at White Hart Lane, new Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas is worried that his lack of pace means he will not fit in with the high defensive line he likes to deploy.

As such, Dawson could be available for transfer, with Villas-Boas confident that he can rely on the likes of Younes Kaboul, Jan Vertonghen and Steven Caulker in the heart of his defence.

Earlier reports suggested Dawson could have been in line for the Spurs club captaincy, but with talk of a move intensifying that now seems unlikely and Scott Parker is likely to take the role instead.

Liverpool Still Keen To Lure Theo Walcott

Liverpool remain keen to sign Theo Walcott from Arsenal, despite being unable to make progress on the deal all summer.

Reports suggest new Reds boss Brendan Rodgers wants to add pace and width to his new-look Anfield squad and the England international fits the bill.

He has been linked with a move for the ex-Southampton man for several weeks, but the fact no deal has yet been done is not putting Rodgers off.

Chelsea were also rumoured to be interested in luring Walcott away from the Emirates Stadium this summer, but they have since turned to other targets and look set to bring in Victor Moses from Wigan.

Although Walcott has not expressed a desire to leave north London - and is in fact said to be settled in the capital - his place in Arsenal's first eleven could come under threat when the new season gets underway.

The Gunners have signed attackers Santi Cazorla, Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski in the current transfer window, all of whom could be vying with the Englishman for a spot in Arsene Wenger's team.

Rodgers, meanwhile, is finally making progress on his first Liverpool team, having recently added Fabio Borini and Joe Allen, and wants to make Walcott his next acquisition.

Inter Milan To Rival Liverpool For Theo Walcott

Inter Milan are reportedly planning a bid for Arsenal winger Theo Walcott, who remains a transfer target for Liverpool.

The England international has less than 12 months remaining on his current contract at the Emirates Stadium and little progress has been made in negotiations about an extension.

New Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is keen to add the 23-year-old's pace to his squad and the Anfield club is expected to make a formal offer this week.

Reports in Italy suggest the Reds will face strong competition from Inter, who are in the market for a creative player.

Nerazzurri officials are attracted to Walcott because his contract situation means he could be available for a cut-price fee, and are said to be confident of beating Liverpool to his signature because Arsenal would prefer not to sell to another Premier League club.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has readymade replacements in the form of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and new signing Santi Cazorla.

However, he would prefer Walcott to sign a new deal and commit his future to the club, rather than risk losing him, together with Robin van Persie, who is wanted by Manchester United, and Barcelona target Alex Song, just before the transfer window closes.

Hearts Learning Lessons

John McGlynn does not want Hearts to make the same mistakes against Liverpool as were made in the Europa League qualifying rounds last season in a thrashing by Tottenham Hotspur.

The SPL club has drawn English opponents in the play-offs for the second year running, with the first leg at Tynecastle on 30th August and return at Anfield seven days later.

Hearts were three goals down inside 27 minutes last season on their way to a 5-0 home defeat by Spurs before a youthful side restored some respectability with a goalless draw in North London.

McGlynn took over from Paulo Sergio this summer amid huge cutbacks to the squad, with an experienced spine to the team complemented by many of the youngsters who performed at White Hart Lane.

And he will make sure as much as possible is learned from that game when they meet Liverpool.

"It's a similar type of tie," he said. "Unfortunately for Hearts it kind of died very, very quickly.

"There was a great build-up and atmosphere at Tynecastle but the way Tottenham went about their business, the game was finished very quickly.

"Hearts restored their pride by going down and getting a draw. I would hope we would learn from that."

There was certainly no dread about facing one of the top seeds in the draw among McGlynn or the Hearts players despite the painful memory of that Tottenham defeat.

Midfielder Scott Robinson said: "It's brilliant, that's the tie we wanted. Liverpool is a dream tie.

"You either want a big team like Liverpool or someone you think you're going to get through against. But we'll do the best we can."

Match Report: Liverpool 3 - 0 FC Gomel

Luis Suarez was the inspiration as Liverpool cruised into the final qualifying round of the Europa League with a 3-0 win over FC Gomel - and it seems Joe Allen is about to provide further cheer for the Anfield faithful.

After telling Swansea he wants to move north, Allen was present to watch Suarez create first-half goals for Fabio Borini and skipper Steven Gerrard as the Belarus outfit proved no match for the Merseyside giants.

Glen Johnson added another after half-time.

It was a positive way for Brendan Rodgers to mark his first home game in charge, particularly with his first signing Borini capping a useful performance by grabbing a precious goal on his home debut, thrashing home a first-time shot from 10 yards.

More significant tests are to come and the presence of Reds' former assistant-manager Steve Clarke was a reminder that the first Premier League game against West Brom is only nine days away.

However, this win should at least settle some of the nerves which have started to grow amid speculation that Daniel Agger and Andy Carroll might end up joining the summer exodus from a club that expects much better than last season's eighth-place finish.

There are some who wonder whether Rodgers would be happy to pocket the cash for Agger to fund a squad strengthening exercise but the Liverpool manager was fulsome in his praise yesterday and was prepared to put Jamie Carragher on the bench to accommodate him on Thursday evening.

Suarez was the most telling presence though.

Eight days after his Olympic campaign with Uruguay came to a sorry end in Cardiff and with a lucrative contract signed earlier this week, he approached the tie with a sense of purpose.

Suarez raced onto a return pass from Gerrard before flashing a shot inches over, then left Gomel skipper Nikolai Kashevsky looking silly with a smart turn.

Unfortunately for the South American, he could not profit from his impudence as Vladimir Bushma got down to save his angled drive.

Gomel were finding it impossible to subdue Suarez and when he outsmarted them again with a run to the byline, it led directly to Liverpool's opener.

Kashevsky stuck out a leg to turn the low cross out of the six-yard area but in doing so sent it straight to Borini, who promptly smashed a first-time shot under Bushma's body.

It was a fine way for Borini to mark his home debut and the former Chelsea man thought he was going to get another shortly afterwards, only for Sergey Matsveychyk to turn away a Suarez cross that was about to leave the Italian with an empty net.

Instead, Gerrard got one four minutes from time.

Once again Suarez did the spadework, driving into the heart of Gomel's defence and drawing Bushma, leaving the Reds skipper with the simplest of tasks.

With a place in Friday's draw secure, Liverpool went in search of more goals after the break.

Gerrard thudded a shot against the base of a post before Suarez went on another mazy run through a Gomel defence.

His shot would have squeezed in at the far corner had Bushma not managed to touch it behind with an excellent low save.

Liverpool's third eventually arrived from an unlikely source 19 minutes from time as Johnson charged onto a loose ball, controlled on his chest, then belted home a left-footed shot from the edge of the area.

Suarez's hopes of a goal were dashed when he was denied a clear run by a debatable offside flag and Allen was still in his seat when his prospective new team-mate curled a shot straight at Bushma in the final minute.

Rodgers Salutes Suarez

Brendan Rodgers declared himself satisfied with Liverpool's performance after the 3-0 win over Gomel in the Europa League on Thursday and had special praise for Luis Suarez.

The Reds were made to work hard in the first leg in Belarus last week but were much more impressive at Anfield as goals from Fabio Borini, Steven Gerrard and Glen Johnson secured a 4-0 aggregate victory.

And Rodgers was delighted with the display, singling out Suarez as the star man after he set up the first two goals.

"Luis is an incredible player," the Liverpool boss said. "He has come back to us and looked great in training.

"He is so creative in the box but he also presses very well when he doesn't have the ball.

"He is the type of player I love. He is in love with football. He has such passion for the game.

"His combination work with Steven Gerrard and Fabio Borini was excellent."

Rodgers was also pleased that Borini opened his account on his home debut.

Having worked with the striker at Chelsea and Swansea, he had no doubts Borini could add something to his team - hence why he was so keen to lure him back to England from Roma.

"It is important for any striker to score because they are judged on their goals," Rodgers said. "But I brought him here because I know he can score.

"He is only 21 and has a lot of improvement left in him.

"But with his work-rate and his ability on the ball I think he will fit in very well to our team."