Rafael Benitez's side reached the last 16 in emphatic style with a 4-0 win at Marseille.

Gerrard opened the scoring after four minutes and there were also goals for Fernando Torres, Dirk Kuyt and Ryan Babel.

Gerrard told ITV Sport: "The most important word in the team talk was cup final. When the manager says it's a cup final situation you know you have got to give everything you've got.

"From the goalkeeper to the front men, every one of us has done our job.

"We made it difficult for ourselves in this group. We are disappointed it came down to the last game.

"We needed to perform tonight. It was a performance full of character and hard work. We knew we'd got the quality so we're very happy with the performance."

Liverpool took just one point from their opening three matches of their group campaign but got themselves back in the picture with wins over Besiktas and Porto.

That still left work to be done at the Stade Velodrome and defender Jamie Carragher felt the performance was one of the best he had been involved in.

Carragher told ITV Sport: "It's got to be right up there with some of the great results we've had. The two early goals put us in a great position.

"We have come out worthy winners and we are just delighted to be in the draw."

Neither Gerrard nor Carragher would be drawn on speculation surrounding the position of manager Rafael Benitez.

It had been claimed tonight's result was pivotal to Benitez's future at Anfield.

Gerrard said: "From the players' point of view we concentrate on the job on the pitch.

"Whatever the situation is between the manager and the owners that is between them. If you concentrate on things off the pitch it affects your football. We'll just concentrate on football."