LIVERPOOL // Jay Spearing, the Liverpool midfielder, insists his side can still catch fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur and earn a spot in the Europa League next season after closing the gap significantly on the London club.
Last weekend's 5-0 home win over Birmingham City, coupled with a draw for Spurs, cut the distance to three points and, although Harry Redknapp's side have a game in hand, they still have to go to Anfield on the penultimate weekend of the season.
Qualifying for Europe again appeared a long way off during Roy Hodgson's short-lived reign as manager, when the club slipped as low as 19th.
But Kenny Dalglish's return for a second spell as Liverpool manager has turned around their fortunes, with the 60-year-old Scot's side taking 28 points out of a possible 42 to rise to sixth.
"We can't keep worrying about what other people are doing in the league. We have to keep working," said Spearing, 22, ahead of Sunday's visit of Newcastle United.
Spearing is one of a number of home-grown players given a chance by Dalglish when injuries to key members such as Steven Gerrard and Daniel Agger threatened to derail the resurgence.
"For a lot of us, including myself, it is a chance for us to get a step in and show people what we are capable of doing," Spearing said.
