'Craig gives us so much quality'

Martin Skrtel has hailed the influence to Liverpool of Craig Bellamy after the Welsh international’s two-goal display against Newcastle United in the final game of 2011 on Friday night.

Liverpool's No.39 was a constant menace to his old side and the Slovakian was quick to mention just how important a figure he is for Kenny Dalglish's side.

"Craig put in a really good performance and we were delighted for him to get two goals against his old club. He showed again what a great footballer he is," Skrtel told Liverpoolfc.tv.

"Everybody knows how much quality he has and he shows that in every single game he plays. He's a great player and we are delighted to have him on our side.

"It was a very important win for us, especially after not winning the previous two games, so we got the three points and we are really happy with that."

The No.37 was also full of praise for skipper Steven Gerrard after he netted the Reds final goal of the calendar year against Newcastle.

He added:  "Stevie is special. He has been out for a while but he scored and showed how very important a player he is for Liverpool.

"He has given everyone a lot of confidence. We have a lot of games to play, just in January alone, and his return is a big boost to us. We are all happy to see him back."

Skrtel also made a key contribution during the win over Alan Pardew's side when he made a fantastic goal saving clearance from Demba Ba with the score at 2-1.

He said: "I just tried to do my best to clear the ball.

"It was going in and I was happy to help the team and clear the ball."

Dalglish's charges now turn their attentions to the first of three meetings in January with Manchester City.

With the two legged Carling Cup semi-final to follow, the Reds will head into Tuesday's clash at the Etihad Stadium full of confidence.

"We played really well at Anfield against them and showed we can compete against them," added Skrtel.

"If we can repeat that performance on Tuesday then we are certainly capable of getting a good result against them.

"We are looking forward to it and we will give our best.

"These are going to be special games as in a short period we play them three times so we hope to be successful."