The talk ahead of Liverpool v Crystal Palace was all about Steven Gerrard making his last appearance at Anfield.

But for the two Reds fans playing in the centre of the Eagles defence an unhappy ending was being plotted and executed as the team from south London won 3-1 thanks to strikes from Jason Puncheon, Wilfried Zaha and Glenn Murray.

Whiston-born Martin Kelly lined up alongside the Kirkdale-born Scott Dann - the first time they had played together in that position and a partnership which Palace boss Alan Pardew later admitted was put together on purpose to play on the emotion of the occasion.

Eagles youngster enjoys crazy Anfield trip

Liverpool 1 v 3 Crystal Palace: Zaha strike puts downer on Gerrard's Anfield farewell

Kelly said: “The win was what we wanted today.

“The manager said we had had four defeats and we wanted to bounce back and show the fans a good performance.

“We put that in and showed great character coming back from 1-0 down - I think we deserved the win.”

Kelly joined the famous Liverpool academy at 10 years old, rising through the ranks and going on to make 62 appearances before moving to the Eagles during the August 2014 transfer window.

Your Local Guardian:

A fond farewell: Steven Gerrard says his goodbyes after the 3-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace

But the boyhood Bolton Wanderers fan, who started supporting Liverpool after signing for them, suffered a series of injuries which stunted his progress made under Rafael Benitez, Roy Hodgson, Kenny Dalglish and Brendan Rogers, and he made the decision to re-start his career in SE25.

Since joining Palace in August 2014, Kelly has played as a full-back, but his preferred position is in the centre and the 25-year-old was grateful for the opportunity afforded him at Anfield.

“That’s was my first start as a centre-half in the Premier League,” he said.

“It’s a learning curve and I’m glad it’s come at this time, I feel ready to play there and with a run of games, I can really show what I can do.

“It’s the position I want to play in to prolong my career. I played all the way through the academy at centre half so it’s my best position. I’ve played left back, right back - I play anywhere - I love defending.”

Kelly himself admitted he was at fault for the opening goal at Anfield as Adam Lallana latched on to his misplaced pass to Dann and slotted past Wayne Hennessey, and he was quick to praise his central defensive partner.

“It’s brilliant playing alongside Scott [Dann],” said Kelly, who made his debut for England in 2012 against Norway and was later part of the Euro 2012 squad.

“He’s a great player who’s had a great season that showed with getting the player of the year award this week - great credit to him.

“I made a square pass which you’re not meant to do as a centre-half - it should have gone back to the keeper. I thought Scotty was able to get it, but he wanted it to go back to the keeper.

“I think I showed good character to come back from that, but it was my first start there so I’m going to make mistakes - it’s about how you learn from them, bounce back and show your ability.”

That ability helped the Palace side limit Liverpool to just three shots on target for the whole game as Brendan Rogers’ side were unable to cope with the Eagles threat.

“It looked good for us if you were watching us as a neutral or a travelling fan,” said Kelly. “We looked really dangerous on the counter-attack and limiting their shots was credit to how we defended.

“It was a good game to watch, a good performance and a good three points for us.”

With the Palace squad and backroom staff long-gone from Anfield, Kelly emerged for his post-match interview clutching a signed Gerrard shirt and was keen to pay his respects to the Liverpool captain.

He said: “He deserves all the praise he gets. He’s been a great player for the club and deserves all the respect. He’ll be a legend here for the rest of his life.

“I actually spoke to him last night to see how he was doing. It was nice to see him today and I’m sure it was emotional for him.”