The Northern Irishman came within a whisker of ending the club’s 25-year wait for league success last season and says the Reds will challenge again this term

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has promised the club’s fans that it is only a matter of time before the Premier League trophy ends up at Anfield.

The Reds suffered heartbreak last season, as defeat to Chelsea at home and a disastrous draw at Crystal Palace saw the trophy slip from their grasp and into the hands of Manchester City.

But the Merseyside outfit won 12 of their final 14 games and Rodgers believes his side have shown they have the mettle to cope with the pressure of a title run in and end their 25-year championship drought.

“There is no depression here; there hasn’t been a hangover,” the Northern Irishman told the Mirror.

“I wasn’t lying on a sun lounger on a beach over the summer crying and fretting over the fact that we lost the league.

“There is only an excitement and a belief inside the club that we can challenge again for the title this time.

“We proved last season that we can handle the pressure of a title run-in. I know people will point to the Chelsea and Crystal Palace games, but they should look, instead, at our last 14 games.

“Twelve wins, one draw, one defeat. That kind of form usually wins you the title. So, I know we can cope with the pressure. What we didn’t get was that wee bit of luck you need along the way.

“We just didn’t get the breaks when we needed them most, but I believe that we will be back up there, challenging, and Liverpool Football Club is a very exciting place to be at this current time.

“Last season was a great step forward and now we must believe that we can go one better.

“If it doesn’t happen this year, then it will happen soon. I really believe that because of what we’re building at the club.”

There was further agony for Rodgers at the beginning of the transfer window as star man Luis Suarez left the club for Barcelona. But new recruits, such as Adam Lallana, Emre Can and Lazar Markovic, have all been brought in to strengthen the sqaud that finished as runners up last season.

And the 41-year-old is aiming to build a side that will see the Reds – and himself – sticking around at the top table of English football for some time to come.

“I think the new signings have been good as they bring a freshness to the club,” Rodgers enthused.

“But, first and foremost, I never dwell on the negatives. It was a season when I gained enormous experience – and I loved every single second of it.

“I have wanted to be at the leading edge of the game all of my life and I was fortunate to be in there, challenging for the title, right until the very end.

“This is where I want to be. It’s where I want Liverpool to be and, hopefully, we will be back there again this time.

“I’m 41. Hopefully, I’ve got another 20-odd years left in the game and, ­hopefully, I will have success in that period.”