Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard believes that the 2008-09 squad under Rafael Benitez was the best that he was a part of during his 17 years at Anfield.
The long-serving skipper, who marked his final appearance at home with a 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace on Saturday, will call time on a decorated career with the Reds next week away to Stoke City.
The 34-year-old reserved a mention for the team that finished runners up last season, but the former England captain thinks that Benitez's team was the finest that he played in.
He told BBC Sport: "The team that was very close to winning the title was a very good team, but I think a lot of that was down to the form of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge and [Philippe] Coutinho. We had a really good go, but we weren't in Europe, so we could push and that was a strong team.
"But maybe when Fernando Torres was here and we had [Javier] Mascherano and [Xabi] Alonso, and Jamie Carragher and Sami Hyypia and a lot of good players around that spine.
"I think that's the best team I've played in."
Meanwhile, Sturridge has declared his outgoing teammate as the best player in Liverpool's history.
Paul Gorst
