Downing hails Carroll
Stewart Downing has backed Andy Carroll to go from strength to strength after Liverpool's No.9 netted on his derby debut against Everton.
The England international fired his first Barclays Premier League goal of the season and the winger believes that strike will give him a lot of confidence.
"Andy's off the mark now and we're all delighted for him," said Downing.
"Even without scoring, he's been doing really well for us.
"But getting a goal is a real bonus and for it to happen in the derby is extra special for him.
"He deserved it for his all-round play and it was a great finish.
"Andy is a quality striker and I'm sure he'll build on this. It was such an important goal as this was a big win for us."
"Obviously coming here and winning means a lot to the fans but the main thing for us was getting the three points."
Click on the play button below to watch the derby action
Liverpool's No.19 now heads to Montenegro with England for Friday's final Euro 2012 qualifier, and he added: "We've shown a lot of character to come back from the defeats at Stoke and Tottenham with two wins in a row. We needed that to stay in the pack and it was a good performance."
"We're going into the break in good form and we have to ensure we keep it going.
"The Manchester United game will be tough but we'll look forward to it. If we keep playing the way we are then we've got a decent chance of beating anyone."