Winning is my medicine: Gerrard
Aston Villa's new manager Steven Gerrard said victories like Saturday's 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion are like "medicine" for the highs he misses from his playing days.
Late goals from Ollie Watkins and Tyrone Mings gave 15th-placed Villa the win over eighth-placed Brighton, ending a run of five league defeats that resulted in the club sacking Dean Smith and replacing him with Gerrard on Nov 11.
The former England captain played more than 700 games for Liverpool between 1998 and 2015 and won nine trophies at the Anfield club.
"I will always be as authentic as I can. If anyone doubts me, watch me after those goals. That is real. They are the buzzes, the highs you miss as a player. They are why you want to stay in the game. They are my medicine," Gerrard said.
"You are trying to control your emotions, but inside you are kicking every ball. I want to coach from the side, I want to be visible and help them, guide them. Inside is what was with me as a player, that will to win, that drive... I hate losing."
"We were a bit tense at times (against Brighton) but I thought we finished the game extremely strongly.
"We have got a lot of things to build on. In time, we will become stronger and grow and get better."
Brighton have now failed to win any of their last eight matches in all competitions, their worst run in almost a year.
Said manager Graham Potter: "I thought we attacked better, had more sustained pressure, didn't really feel in any danger until they scored...
"We gave ourselves a chance to win the game but ultimately we did not score. Aston Villa deserved to win as they scored." - REUTERS
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