Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers could not have been more proud of his team after the Reds staged a tremendous fightback before eventually crashing out of the Europa League to Zenit St. Petersburg on the away goals rule.
The tie seemed to have ended after Hulk scored his second goal in the 19th minute against Liverpool in the space of a week, giving Zenit a 3-0 aggregate lead along with the all-important away goal.
However, a Luis Suarez-inspired Liverpool fought back to score three goals in the next 40 minutes of play - a double from the Uruguayan and one from Joe Allen -- leaving them with half an hour to find that fourth goal which would have seen them through to the last 16.
However, it just wasn't to be, and Rodgers admitted the 2-0 loss in the first leg in Russia proved to be too costly.
"We're very proud of the club and the players tonight," he told reporters. "Even though we lost the tie, tonight the football club and the players showed why they're part of the world's greatest football family here at Liverpool with the atmosphere and what the players put into the game.
"To have to come back from a three-goal deficit and put that effort, quality and character into the game was absolutely phenomenal -- and I felt we should have had a penalty as well.
"I don't think the players could have done anymore. The crowd could not have done anymore. It was a fantastic night, but unfortunately we probably lost the tie over there.
"At this level to have to score that many goals and for us to nearly do it, gives me great pride in how the players performed."
Liverpool lost their final opportunity at winning a trophy this season, when they crashed out of the Europa League, but Rodgers believes there is still plenty to play for in the rest of the season, although a Champions League spot looks unlikely with the Reds currently 9 points behind fourth-placed Spurs, having played a game more.
"Our season doesn't finish -- and was never going to finish -- until the final whistle against QPR (the final game of the Premier League season)," Rodgers added.
"This is a group that is growing all the time. You see the level of performance tonight -- to dominate a team of that ilk and control the game like we did was incredible.
"For us going forward, it's to continue with how we've been working since the turn of the year. As the season has gone on, we've got better and improved.
"We want to carry that through until the very final whistle at the end of the season. You can see the players' hunger and determination to do that -- and we'll look to do that in the last 11 games."
