Gerrard praise for Jordon's derby debut
Steven Gerrard pointed to Jordon Ibe's display against Everton as one of the positives to be taken from an otherwise frustrating goalless Merseyside derby draw at Goodison Park.
Ibe, who returned from a profitable spell on loan at Derby County in January, was handed only his third start for Liverpool, his sixth appearance overall, by Brendan Rodgers on Saturday.
The 19-year-old surged forward at every given opportunity and almost broke the deadlock with a vicious, swerving strike midway through the first half, which rattled Joel Robles' post and stunned the home crowd.
His sprints towards the byline in the second half prompted cause for Everton concern; however, neither Ibe nor his Liverpool teammates could find a breakthrough and the clash finished all square under the floodlights.
"[Jordon] did fantastic," Gerrard told Sky Sports. "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.
"He was unlucky not to score with that unbelievable strike in the first half. 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, who made his full Liverpool debut on the final day of the 2012-13 campaign against Queens Park Rangers, contributed five goals in 24 appearances while on loan at the Rams during the first part of this season.
The youngster was handed minutes against Aston Villa and West Ham United recently following his January return - but tonight he was entrusted to play from the start, and Ibe insists he enjoyed the experience.
"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."
As one man enjoyed his first clash with the Blues, another was facing up to the prospect of having potentially played his last game against Everton.
Tonight marked Gerrard's final league encounter with the Reds' rivals - and the skipper admitted the occasion was tinged with sadness as he gave his post-match assessment of proceedings.
"I love playing here," he said. "It's a great stadium with a good atmosphere. I've got some wonderful memories here. It was much the same [tonight], but I will miss coming here.
"I will miss the Merseyside derbies. Maybe there's one more left in the Europa League. We'll have to wait and see."
He added: "I thought first half, both sides cancelled each other out tonight. We were just looking for that spark and that opening that we needed. But it never came. Everton are a good team. They defend well and the defences were on top today.
"I think overall, it was a fair result. Both sides huffed and puffed. We edged the chances, but I think we can't have too many complaints."