Steven Gerrard : I take full responsibility for my action

"I need to accept it, I think the decision was right. I've let my teammates and the manager down today, and even more importantly let all of the supporters down.”

"I take full responsibility for my action. I've tried to jump his tackle when I've seen his studs and I've reacted wrong.”

"I've been in the game long enough to know when you do something like that...especially with the timing of the game - 45 to play with a great opportunity to get back into the game. I take full responsibility for it."

"I don't know [what caused it]. It was probably just a reaction to the initial tackle, but I don't think I should say too much more on it, really.”

"I've come to speak to apologise to everyone in the dressing room and all of the supporters all over the place because I take full responsibility for today's result."

liverpoolfc.com

Brendan Rodgers : It's a Great Victory

Liverpool 1 - 0 Swansea (March 16, 2015)

About the Winning

"It was a wonderful demonstration of the character and resilience in the team, especially [after] how we played in the first half."

"Any system you play in the game doesn't work unless you have that ability to work, and we just weren't anywhere near it in the first half. But that resilience and character kept us in the game."

"We knew we were going to be better in the second half, we changed the structure of the team a little bit and then I thought in the second half we really dominated the game."

"You can see whenever the team isn't quite pressing how we want then it becomes a little bit broken, like it was in the first half."

"We pressed the game and shortened the pitch much more in the second half. We got the goal and had opportunities to get a few more."

"We know that we have the capacity to win games. Our away record over the last two years is really strong.

"You see the resilience in the team and when we're not playing so well, we've still got that organisation and resolve to keep a clean sheet.

"In the second half we were much more fluent in our passing and movement. We played the most part of the game in their half. We didn't have too many scares in the second half.

"It's a great victory, it's a difficult place to come here and we're very happy."

About Strategy

"People who know me and have watched my teams regularly from when I was a youth coach, my teams have played 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 diamond."

"If you look at Swansea tonight, they were a diamond and we were a box in midfield, and they got between us quite well I felt because they've got good players and they passed it well."

"We've prepared that in training for if we have to flip and you see the difference it can make. The players went smoothly into it."

"You push the sides further up, so it's a 3-4-3 but in a different format. We pushed Raheem [Sterling] higher up the pitch onto the full-back, [Alberto] Moreno went right high and then the diamond occupies the spaces in midfield.

"They play with two front players, but we still go three versus two at the back and then that allows us to have the extra numbers. It worked well for us."

About 13 games unbeaten in the division since mid-December.

"I'm proud whichever way [we win]," 

"We work very hard first and foremost on how we defend.

"It's not just about the style, you have to have a foundation and the foundation for that is how we press the game."

About Steven Gerrard As Substitution

"What we did in the second half was run more without the ball, that notion for the team that you've got to move not just when you have the ball, you've got to run off it.

"We talked at half-time about penetrating and options for the guy in possession. Steven came on and offered that calmness.

"We switched to the diamond in the second half. He came in and fitted into the bottom of that. His calmness and control was very important in that."

"You have to pay respect to the team."

"They've been playing very, very well and getting results. Collectively over the last three months we've been in great form."

"But, of course, Steven has been out for a considerable period of time. He's fit [now] and you saw him in the game today how important he is when he came on."

About the Competition

"We can now really look forward to that. Tonight, whatever, we needed a result - so to get the victory was a huge result for us."

"At home, we look forward to going into this game - they're massive games, great games to be involved in."

"Hopefully, it'll show the strides we've made since we played them a number of months back. For that, I have to give immense credit to the team."

"We've put ourselves in a great position. There is still a lot of work to go so we'll recover now and get ready for the weekend."

"[The target is] to finish as high as we can. Everyone talks about fourth but it's the same every year for me. We do the best we can do."

"Manchester City's result at the weekend gives us an opportunity to finish second, so our mentality, the run and confidence we have at the moment we're just going to take that into every game and see where it takes us."

"We've clawed our way slowly back into it. We knew it was going to take time being so many points behind, but to get back to this level of consistency is very, very impressive."

"We've still got a lot of work to do, but we're on the right pathway."

liverpoolfc.com

Jose Mourinho : I Was Dreaming of (Claude) Makelele, Gerrard and (Frank) Lampard in Midfield

"He (Gerrard) is a historical player for Liverpool, a historical player for the Premier League and an opponent I have always admired and respected," Mourinho said.

"We did everything to try (to sign him) and it was almost there. I was dreaming of (Claude) Makelele, Gerrard and (Frank) Lampard in midfield.
"We were playing in a proper triangle without a number 10 and playing Maka in front of the defenders. Me, Mr Abramovich and (former Chelsea chief executive) Peter Kenyon at that time, we dreamed of that.
"His people were open to him joining a top side like Chelsea. But to me personally he never said he would come. Never.
"He (Gerrard) was always a red and I think the decision was right."

football365.com

Brendan Rodgers : About Comeback of Some Key Players

"We're getting there in terms of injuries."

About Raheem Sterling's comeback
"Raheem is back in the squad, which is good news. He's refreshed and ready to work.

About Glen Johnson's comeback
"Glen Johnson has been back in training, so we'll see how he is in terms of availability. He's not been training for long, so we'll see how he is after the session tomorrow [Friday]."

About Adam Lallana's comeback
"We're monitoring the likes of Steven and Adam Lallana. Adam's been out for a little while, but he's on the field.
"He was playing very, very well and has settled into the club very well.
"He's ahead of schedule in terms of his rehabilitation. We're hoping he can join the group tomorrow to train.
"If he's not available for the weekend, then certainly for Chelsea he will be.
"He's a wonderful technician; he's linked up with players when he's played and he will only get better as his time progresses here at the club."

About Steven Gerrard's comeback
"We'll see by the end of play tomorrow [with Steven]. If not, then hopefully by the Chelsea game.

About Daniel Sturridge's comeback
"Daniel Sturridge is back and working well. He's obviously not ready to play as of yet, but he's working well, so hopefully in the near future he'll be ready.
"Time will tell. We just want him fit and there's no timeline on that as such.
"He's working hard, he's back in the final stages of his rehab here at the club, but there is no time on it yet."

About Jon Flanagan & Joe Allen Progress
"Young Jon Flanagan is still a little bit of time off [from fitness] and Joe Allen should be back training with the group in the next couple of days.

liverpoolfc.com

Steven Gerrard : About His Transfer to Los Angeles Galaxy

Gerrard :
"I'm very excited to begin the next chapter of my career in the United States," Gerrard added.

"The Galaxy are the most successful club in MLS history and I'm looking forward to competing for more championships in the years to come.

"One of the reasons I chose them was because of the success they've had recently. I want to add some medals and trophies to my collection."

Head Coach and General Manager Bruce Arena :

"We're very pleased to acquire a player of Steven's calibre, experience and character,"

"He is one of the most decorated players in the world and will join our team with a wealth of success playing at the highest level of the sport."

"Steven will be an excellent example to our young players and we're excited to add him and his leadership to an already-talented roster."

L.A Galaxy president Chris Klein :

"We were aggressive in our pursuit of Steven and look forward to his contributions on and off the field,"

bbc.com

Steven Gerrard : About His Contract & Relationship with Brendan Rodgers

About Contract & Injury

"If a contract had been put in front of me in pre-season I would have signed it," 

"I'd just retired from England to concentrate all my efforts on Liverpool. I didn't want my club games to be tailored."

"My injury record had been fantastic for the past two and a half years and I had a great season from a personal point of view last season."

"It's all ifs, buts and hindsight now. That period between the summer and the end of November gave me thinking time."

"There's no blame and I'm not angry about it. There are other people in the squad and the club had other things to worry about."

"There is no finger pointing from me towards the manager or anyone else at the club."

About His Relationship with Brendan Rodgers

"I've got to be honest, that chat with Brendan came earlier than I was expecting," he added. "It was about a month before that he first mentioned to me about managing my game time.

"We had another chat on the subject recently - 10 days to two weeks ago. It was tough but I understood. It's been very amicable. Everyone knows how much I rate Brendan. Our relationship is very good."

"There hasn't been a cross word between us. Brendan has been fantastic for me. My only regret is that I didn't get to work with him at a younger age."

"Since I was 16, 17 years of age, the moment I come into work on a Monday morning my preparations begin to play 90 minutes the following weekend. That's the buzz. I've always worked hard all week to prepare and make sure my performance is right come the weekend."

"When it gets to the stage where you don't know if you're going to be starting or not it becomes different. I've never wanted to be a squad player. If I was missing games now, I'd be sitting out even more next season. I knew it would get worse and worse as time went on."

liverpoolfc.com

Steven Gerrard : About His Career in Liverpool

"The memories and experiences I've had over the past 26 years I wouldn't swap for anything in the world," the Englishman commented to the Liverpool Echo following Friday's news.

"I'm a very lucky boy and I am also proud of what I've given back - the sacrifices, the dedication and the loyalty. Liverpool Football Club have been unbelievable for me since I was eight years old.

"This club has helped me fulfil my dreams over and over again. I enjoy a very strong relationship with Liverpool Football Club and I don't see that coming to an end. I hope to serve the club again one day.

"There's been huge pressure and responsibility on me but I've always loved and embraced that. I've never seen that as a burden.

"It's been a massive honour to be captain of this club for so long and it will be right to the end. I'll be a Liverpool fan to the day I die. I've lived my dreams."

liverpoolfc.com