Carragher hails 'best ever' Gerrard

Liverpool veteran Jamie Carragher believes Steven Gerrard can now lay claim to being the club's all-time greatest player - and the second-best midfielder ever produced by England.

Gerrard underlined his enduring brilliance with a hat-trick in Tuesday's 3-0 win over arch-rivals Everton. The 31-year-old, who memorably led the Reds to Champions League glory in 2005, has been the heartbeat of the club, and its chief inspiration, for well over a decade.

Carragher feels his performances, when set in their context, now eclipse those of some of the club's most revered players. Carragher told the Daily Telegraph: "Because of what he has done for the club, I believe he is the best."

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