'Scouse pair led by example'
John Aldridge heaped praise upon Liverpool's Scouse duo of Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher after their performances in Sunday’s goalless draw with Everton.
The Kop legend believes the local duo led by example as the Reds sought to break down the Blues in the 220th all-Merseyside affair.
For Carragher, it was his last derby as he prepares to hang up his boots at the end of the season.
Aldridge wrote in his Liverpool Echo column: "Liverpool's two best players against Everton were the home-grown lads.
"I thought Steven Gerrard was absolutely outstanding. When the skipper went down on his shoulder early on I thought he would have to go off.
"But the fact he battled on and played through the pain barried showed the determined of the man. Some of his passing was sensational.
"Defensively, Jamie Carragher was excellent. It would have been nice to win it for Jamie with it being his last derby.
"You could see the determination in his face. He was so desperate to get the three points but at least he didn't lose it.
"His record of playing in 30 derby games and suffering just five defeats is some feat.
"Carra was faultless at the back and delivered another performance which underlined just how much we're going to miss him when he hangs up his boots later this month."
Aldridge was also delighted by the display of Philippe Coutinho, who marked his first ever derby appearance with a lively performance.
"I was really impressed by how Philippe Coutinho made his mark on the derby," he said. "The little Brazilian is developing all the time and I love watching him.
"The pass he put through for Daniel Sturridge in the second half was absolutely sublime.
"Coutinho is still only a baby but he has great vision and ability to pick a pass. He's still being nurtured and he's learning all the time. He will be even better next season after the experiences of recent months and could be a really big player for us in the future."