'A great reward for Suarez and Gerrard'
Brendan Rodgers has labelled the decision to jointly name Liverpool stars Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez as the Barclays Premier League Player of the Month for March as a 'great reward' for the pair.
Both men turned in a series of pivotal displays throughout last month, helping the Reds to rack up five consecutive victories and secure a slender advantage at the summit of the division.
Such was the level of performance achieved by the club captain and the top scorer, the judging panel could not split the duo, meaning the award was happily shared by the two at Melwood.
Rodgers admitted that choosing one over the other represented a challenging task, so therefore welcomed the news that the Englishman and Uruguayan had been mutually recognised.
"I've got to be honest, there are probably a number of players in the Liverpool team that could have had the award," the Northern Irishman told Liverpoolfc.com.
"But for the two guys, it is great reward for their efforts. Luis has been incredible in that period, with his goalscoring and relentless work-rate.
"And Stevie, I'm really pleased for him; people might have looked at Stevie this season as a swansong season leading into the World Cup. But I never felt that at all.
"I always felt he was going to have a big impact in the role he's in, purely because of his quality and intelligence. He has been really consistent throughout the course of the season, with his goals, but his playmaking ability from behind really gives the team a different dimension.
"That was always the plan. It's great to see him out there enjoying his football and picking up rewards along the way."
Gerrard and Suarez were not the only people collecting honours this week - in fact, Rodgers was named the Barclays Premier League Manager of the Month following five straight wins in March.
The boss oversaw triumphs at Southampton, Manchester United and Cardiff City before two more on home soil against Sunderland and Tottenham Hotspur.
"Of course, it's recognition of the great work that has gone on in the team, which is to win games," the 41-year-old reflected. "But I don't pick it up as an individual really.
"It's an award that I collect on behalf of my staff here, who work tirelessly every day in order to allow us to perform. I pick it up on behalf of the players, because without them - and their hunger and their determination and quality - you don't win games.
"It's a real collective effort. I receive it, of course, with great thanks, and hopefully we can pick up April's - that would be a good finish for us!"