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Rafa Benitez hailed Sami Hyypia as a 'legend' after his last game in a Liverpool shirt in the win over Tottenham Hotspur.
The Reds ended the season in style thanks to goals from Fernando Torres and Yossi Benayoun as well as Alan Hutton's own goal to round off the Merseysiders' 2008/2009 campaign with 3-1 victory on Sunday.
And Benitez told Sky Sports: "It was good. We wanted to win, we wanted to score more goals and to guarantee another three points so 86 points and a lot of goals was very positive and also because it was the last day of Sami it was very emotional."
Hyypia, who has been a rock in Liverpool's defence for a decade, leaves the club for first-team football in Germany next season.
The defender was named on the bench for the Spurs clash, but after constant calls from the Kop to see the Liverpool stalwart, Benitez allowed the 35-year-old to come on to an Anfield roar and the Spanish coach had much to say about Hyypia.
Fantastic professional
"He has been a fantastic professional," the Reds boss added of the veteran Finn who will now join German side Bayern Leverkusen on a two-year-deal before almost certainly returning to Anfield in a coaching capacity.
"The last five years he has been really, really good but before was the same - so 10 years you are talking about a legend.
"You are talking about someone who is so good as a person and as a professional for us if he comes back quickly we will be really satisfied."
Benitez confessed he was delighted with the progress his side made this term, but the former Valencia manager admitted the Reds need to be more consistent and the Spaniard dropped a hint that Liverpool will be active in the transfer market.
He added: "If you see the total points we have then I think it is a fantastic achievement but maybe you have to improve to win the title.
"We will see now in the summer. As I say we have to work very hard to do our best and sign the right players."
The Reds ended the season in style thanks to goals from Fernando Torres and Yossi Benayoun as well as Alan Hutton's own goal to round off the Merseysiders' 2008/2009 campaign with 3-1 victory on Sunday.
And Benitez told Sky Sports: "It was good. We wanted to win, we wanted to score more goals and to guarantee another three points so 86 points and a lot of goals was very positive and also because it was the last day of Sami it was very emotional."
Hyypia, who has been a rock in Liverpool's defence for a decade, leaves the club for first-team football in Germany next season.
The defender was named on the bench for the Spurs clash, but after constant calls from the Kop to see the Liverpool stalwart, Benitez allowed the 35-year-old to come on to an Anfield roar and the Spanish coach had much to say about Hyypia.
Fantastic professional
"He has been a fantastic professional," the Reds boss added of the veteran Finn who will now join German side Bayern Leverkusen on a two-year-deal before almost certainly returning to Anfield in a coaching capacity.
"The last five years he has been really, really good but before was the same - so 10 years you are talking about a legend.
"You are talking about someone who is so good as a person and as a professional for us if he comes back quickly we will be really satisfied."
Benitez confessed he was delighted with the progress his side made this term, but the former Valencia manager admitted the Reds need to be more consistent and the Spaniard dropped a hint that Liverpool will be active in the transfer market.
He added: "If you see the total points we have then I think it is a fantastic achievement but maybe you have to improve to win the title.
"We will see now in the summer. As I say we have to work very hard to do our best and sign the right players."