Gerrard: Revitalised Torres will kick on

Steven Gerrard has become the latest Liverpool player to offer his support to Fernando Torres, insisting the Spaniard's goal against Blackburn can help the Spanish international rediscover his confidence.

Torres's winning goal in the 2-1 victory against Sam Allardyce's team was just his second of a stuttering campaign as he attempts to recover from an injury-plagued nine months which has featured two knee operations and an adductor injury which marred his World Cup.

The Liverpool captain, though, is confident his match-winning turn against Blackburn is the start of a long-awaited return to form for the 26 year-old, who has found his temperament, body language and commitment to Anfield called into question in the opening months of the season.

"It will do wonders for Fernando's confidence," Gerrard said. "All week in training he looked dangerous and lively running in the channels, and against Blackburn he was exactly the same. He had them tormented, he kept the ball really well, and this team is so different when Fernando is on form.

"He's had a difficult summer with injuries and a difficult start to the season with a few niggles, but now he's starting to look fit and sharp and I'm sure the win and the goal will do him the world of good. If we keep him fit and he's on form, we'll move up this table really fast."

Torres's form in this campaign has contrasted sharply with a rather less high-profile figure at the other end of the pitch. Sotirios Kyrgiakos's headed goal against Blackburn was the largely-lampooned Greek defender's second of a season in which he has emerged as an unlikely mainstay of Roy Hodgson's defence.

The former Rangers player arrived for £1.5million in 2009 as a budget replacement for Sami Hyypia and, after a troubled start - including a mistake against Lyon which effectively cost Liverpool their place in the Champions League knockout rounds - survived Hodgson's summer cull to feature regularly under the club's new manager.

"Our partnership is going really well," said Martin Skrtel, alongside whom Kyrgiakos has featured in central defence in Liverpool's last three games.

"He is a great player. He is a really good guy off the pitch and I like him as a person and a player. I think he won all his headers against Blackburn and he is very good from set-pieces."

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