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Liverpool FC striker Daniel Sturridge soaked up the adulation of the Anfield crowd after his derby heroics and said: "The love I have for this club grows and grows."

The 24-year-old bagged two goals in Liverpool's 4-0 demolition of Everton on Tuesday night.

Sturridge could have marked a memorable night with a hat-trick but blazed a second half spot-kick over the bar.

However the England forward - who has 16 goals in 18 Premier League appearances this season - still received a standing ovation when he was replaced with 20 minutes to go and thanked the Liverpool fans for their support.

“I am just really enjoying my football at the moment,” said Sturridge.

“The love I have for this club just grows and grows more and more each day and I can only thank the fans for embracing me in the way that they have.”

On the derby win, he added: “It was fantastic for the boys. We wanted to put on a performance for the fans, for the team, for everyone and obviously we’re delighted with it.

“Of course I am a bit disappointed not to score a hat-trick because that really would have been the icing on the cake.

“But at the same time we have won 4-0 at home against Everton, so really I can’t be too down on myself.

Sometimes you score, sometimes you get a hat-trick, sometimes you don’t get anything – and it was a good night for me.

“It’s a massive three points, it’s massive for the fans, who get the bragging rights now and that’s what it is all about.

“At the end of the day it’s just all about the team. I keep saying it but it really is a case of the team being all important. If we do that, if we work that way, we will get the results.”

Sturridge, whose goals helped extend Liverpool’s advantage over Everton to four points, incurred the anger of his team-mates in the second-half.

Soon after wasting his chance from 12 yards, Sturridge chose to shoot from a tight angle despite Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho being space.Sturridge says they were right to fume.

“When I missed that chance Luis was obviously fuming with me at the time, and I don’t blame him, I think everyone was fuming with me,” said Sturridge.

“I was fuming with myself too.

“You could see I was still disappointed when I came off because obviously I was also disappointed with missing a penalty at the Kop end.

“But really the most important thing was the game and the result, and in the end everyone was happy with that.”