Steven Gerrard: 'Rafael Benitez's team was the best I played in'

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard believes that the 2008-09 squad under Rafael Benitez was the best that he was a part of during his 17 years at Anfield.

The long-serving skipper, who marked his final appearance at home with a 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace on Saturday, will call time on a decorated career with the Reds next week away to Stoke City.

The 34-year-old reserved a mention for the team that finished runners up last season, but the former England captain thinks that Benitez's team was the finest that he played in.

He told BBC Sport: "The team that was very close to winning the title was a very good team, but I think a lot of that was down to the form of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge and [Philippe] Coutinho. We had a really good go, but we weren't in Europe, so we could push and that was a strong team.

"But maybe when Fernando Torres was here and we had [Javier] Mascherano and [Xabi] Alonso, and Jamie Carragher and Sami Hyypia and a lot of good players around that spine.

"I think that's the best team I've played in."

Meanwhile, Sturridge has declared his outgoing teammate as the best player in Liverpool's history.