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Steven Gerrard notched another derby goalscoring landmark - and then hit back at critics who claim he is “finished”.

The Liverpool skipper has been the subject of stinging attacks following some indifferent performances this season.

But the 34-year-old capped an impressive display by netting a fantastic 65th-minute free-kick against Everton yesterday.

It was his 10th against Everton in 32 appearances, with Ian Rush the only Liverpool player to have scored more times in Merseyside derbies.

Phil Jagielka’s thunderbolt injury-time strike meant honours were shared at Anfield to leave the Reds in the bottom half of the Premier League table.

And while frustrated with the result, Gerrard was happy to prove his doubters wrong.

“I’ll agree with the constructive criticism as far as I have been stifled in a couple of games when players have followed me about and I’ve found it difficult to shake them off,” he said.

“But then people go one step further and say you’ve finished and you can’t run any more and you’re done, and that’s the frustrating thing.

“It was nice to remind people that although I am 34 I can still run, I can still play and I can still compete with the best players around.”

Of his goal, Gerrard said: “You get a feeling when you get a free-kick. Mario (Balotelli) got a feeling during the first half and he hit one that nearly came off.

“But you need to have options in your team when it comes down to set-pieces and when I saw us get the foul where it was, I fancied it and thankfully I got the strike right.

“We deserved three points. Phil Jagielka has got them out of jail with an absolute wonder strike, the type of strike you hit once in your career.

“Credit to him for the strike. But I think on the 90 minutes and the chances created, we’re disappointed not to take three points.”

Brendan Rodgers’ side have taken only seven points from their first six league games and Gerrard admits they are still adjusting to life after Luis Suarez.

“We need to improve, we are all aware of that,” he said. “It wasn’t the start (to the season) we were looking for.

“There has been a lot of change. We have lost possibly the best player on current form, so it’s bound to hurt us for a little short while until the new players come in and settle and help contribute towards the team.

“The improvement will happen. There were big improvements today as far as our performance level was concerned.

“I said before the game we needed more intensity with and without the ball. We did everything right other than get over the line.”

Gerrard is also convinced there is more to come from Mario Balotelli, who could have sealed victory for the Reds when firing against the crossbar shortly after the skipper’s opener.

“I think he did everything but get that goal,” he said. “Mario has a wonderful chance to wrap the game up, but I’m sure he will start slotting away those chances the more he gets settled and used to his team-mates.”