The Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is extremely disappointed at the way his team have started the season.

He was expecting the club to push on from last season’s second place to finally win the title back from old rivals Man Utd, but instead they find themselves in seventh place, and failing to reach the Champions League knock-out stages, and are now consigned to a dog-fight just to finish in the top four.

“It’s frustrating to be where we are in the league now because this was meant to be the year where we were going to be right up there all the way through,” said Gerrard.

“It would mean everything to win it. It’s frustrating not to have it already and I’ve come close on a couple of occasions.

“I will continue to fight for the Premier League from now until I stop playing. Hopefully I can add it to my collection because it would round a fantastic career off.

“It would be extra special if I could do it as captain in the next couple of years. I’m not sure how long I’m going to be captain for – probably another two or three years. If not as captain, then hopefully I can still lift it as a Liverpool player.

“Now, though, it’s important for us to try to get back up to the top of the table.”

“I’ve been around for 11 years and I’m getting towards the 30 years of age mark now, so I’m running out of time,” added Gerrard. “I want to make the most of the next four or five years.

“I’ve still got many more ambitions and dreams that I want to fulfil before I finish.”

Despite reaching his 500th game for the Reds this weekend, Gerrard doesn’t think he deserves to be called a Liverpool “legend” unless he leads the team to more trophies.

“I don’t think I’m a Liverpool legend,” noted Gerrard. “You can only call players legends when they’ve finished and you look back on their careers and they have been successful or a top player throughout.

“A lot of people give the legendary status out too early for my liking. I don’t see myself as a legend – I see the likes of Dalglish, Hansen and Rush as legends.

“They have been there and done it. Hopefully one day I can look back on what I’ve achieved and can say I’m a part of the legends at this club, but I certainly wouldn’t put myself in that bracket now.”