Former striker Stan Collymore has stuck the knife in on his old club by urging captain Steven Gerrard to quit because Liverpool will never win the Premier Lague title (Liverpool 66/1 Premier League – Outright) under manager Rafael Benitez.

Collymore, who had a two-year spell at Anfield from 1995, believes the only reason Kop icon Gerrard has stayed so long on Merseyside is becauswe he is a local lad and feels many of his team-mates are just not good enough to grace the famous red shirt and end the club’s long wait for domestic glory.

“It’s time for Steven Gerrard to put his loyalty to Liverpool to one side and go in search of the one honour that has eluded him – the Premier League,” he writes in his latest column for MirrorFootball.co.uk.

“He’s not going to see that day while he’s wearing a red shirt and as sad as it is for me to say this as a former Liverpool player, I think it is time for him to leave Anfield..

“I was at Blackburn on Saturday and players like Lucas, Rieira and Kuyt don’t deserve to play with him to be honest.”

Gerrard came close to joining Chelsea in 2005 and Collymore feels, at the age of 29,  the England midfielder is running out of time to realise his dream of winning the title with Liverpool.

He said: “I’ve seen him lift the European Cup and I’d love to see him lift the Premier League trophy, but it won’t be as a Rafa Benitez player and I’m not sure it will ever happen for him as a Liverpool player.”

Liverpool evens draw 12/5 Fiorentina 11/4 – Champions League match bets with Betfred.