Steven Gerrard roared with delight after claiming a victory from his first game as Aston Villa manager and revealed he still lives for the buzz of winning.
The former England captain led his team to a 2-0 triumph over Brighton thanks to late goals from Ollie Watkins and Tyrone Mings – ending a run of five consecutive defeats that cost Dean Smith his job and persuaded Villa to hire Gerrard from Rangers.
Gerrard’s reacted to Watkins’ goal with the same raw passion he showed after scoring a screamer at Anfield. He spent part of his last week dismissing the idea that he sees Villa as a staging post on his journey back to Liverpool and argued that his celebration showed his commitment to his new club.