Steven Gerrard was delighted by the performance of Jordon Ibe against Everton…
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard singled out Jordon Ibe for special praise, after the youngster impressed during an otherwise frustrating 0-0 draw with local rivals Everton.
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For Gerrard, who was most likely playing in his final Merseyside derby, Ibe’s performance was an encouraging sign of things to come under manager Brendan Rodgers.
“[Jordon] did fantastic,” said Gerrard, who was quoted by Liverpool’s official website. “He only found out he was playing yesterday, so he had 24 hours to prepare for a big game like this and he was man of the match with a sensational performance.
Ibe hit the post with a thunderous first-half strike – the closest that anyone came to scoring throughout the game – while he caused constant problems with is pace and movement.
“He was unlucky not to score with that unbelievable strike in the first half,” added Gerrard. “Credit to him. He’s got a big future. If he keeps working hard, he’ll be a terrific player.
“There’s positives for us. Certainly this guy. He’s been sensational at Derby. I think Derby have done a great job with him. We wanted him back because of how well he’s done. If he can keep performing like that, he will do well.”
Ibe admitted that he was disappointed not to take all three points, but added that he was otherwise delighted to be back playing for Liverpool after successful loan spells with Derby County and Birmingham City.
“The manager told me yesterday at training that I would start,” he explained. “I’ve just been preparing from last night and thinking about the game. I thought the team did well and we should have got three points.
“I was excited because I’d just come back from being on loan. So it was just terrific to get involved with the team and to start playing.”