Steven Gerrard admitted he was delighted to make his long-awaited comeback in Liverpool's 2-1 Carling Cup win over Brighton - but insisted passage into round four of the competition was the always the priority.
The Reds skipper made his first appearance in six months when he replaced Luis Suarez on 75 minutes in what proved to be a pulsating cup tie at the Amex.
Craig Bellamy's first goal since his Anfield return and a late strike from Dirk Kuyt ensured Kenny Dalglish's men are in the hat for Saturday's draw - and Gerrard's cameo proved to be the icing on the cake.
Asked if Brighton's spirited display prevented him from entering the fray earlier, Gerrard said: "It did actually. If we were two or three up at half-time I might have had a few more minutes, but tonight wasn't about me.
"It was about progressing into the next round and getting that Tottenham performance out of our system, which we did tonight."
He added: "It's down to the manager now. Obviously I've been out for six months so it's all about getting training sessions and match time under my belt, so I can get match fit and get to the form I want to be at.
"It's just nice to come through the first test. Now, I'll train tomorrow and hopefully I'll be selected in the 18 against Wolves and get some more game time."
Gerrard's late appearance saw him come face to face with Craig Noone, a youngster who caught the imagination of headline writers with his boast that he had once worked on the skipper's roof.
After handing his shirt to the Brighton winger, Gerrard said: "He's a down to earth lad, a good Scouser. He did a great job on my house and, in my eyes, tonight he was man of the match.
"He was very unlucky not to score and I thought he was a threat throughout, so congratulations to him."
www.liverpoolfc.tv
