Gerrard said: “He was my personal man of the match. OK, there were a few things within the performance that I’m sure Emi will try and improve, that’s the sort of kid and character we’re talking about.
“He epitomised what I wanted from the 90-minute performance. He was competing for headers, he was sliding and won everything he could out of possession. He died on the pitch, he was getting kicked and some of his football was terrific. Just that real energy and passion and fight, committing to a game-plan, I was absolutely delighted with Emi and he’s been getting better and better each week.
“We’ve sat him down and spoken with him about certain situations but I really loved his performance. He epitomised everything that I want to stand for.”
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