LONDON - LIVERPOOL manager Rafa Benitez pledged on Wednesday to help captain Steven Gerrard clear his name after returning to training for the first time since being charged with assault and affray over a bar brawl.

With three weeks until his first court appearance, Benitez said the England star is 'focused solely on his football' - putting aside concerns about a potential five-year prison sentence as Liverpool pursues its first league title in 19 years.

'Steven is our captain and a key player for us, but more than this, I know him as a nice person,' Benitez said. 'I sat down with him this morning and had a very good talk with him about the situation and I was also able to speak at length with our club lawyer.

'Steven explained to me what had happened and I told him he has my full support and backing, along with everyone else at the football club.' Like the rest of the squad, the 28-year-old Gerrard had not been due back at Liverpool's training ground until Wednesday after routing Newcastle 5-1 on Sunday.

After scoring two goals in that game, Gerrard joined friends for a late Christmas celebration in the seaside resort of Southport that resulted in the brawl at the Lounge Inn. The bar's 34-year-old disc jockey Marcus McGee was hospitalised after losing a tooth and cutting his forehead.

'He's trained with the other lads this morning after a couple of days off for the squad and is keen now to focus solely on his football,' Benitez said . 'We'll do whatever we can to support Steven in the weeks ahead, but we're now concentrating on our preparation for the FA Cup game at Preston this weekend.'

Benitez is confident that Gerrard will remain the Reds' talisman as they look to maintain their lead in the Premier League.

'We've worked very hard to get into the position we're in going through to the New Year and all of us are determined to keep that progress going,' said Benitez, who returned to the training ground for the first time since surgery to remove kidney stones more than two weeks ago.

Gerrard also received backing on Wednesday from the Professional Footballers' Association.

'(We) have offered any help we can,' PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor said. 'I was concerned when I heard about the case as I have known Steven Gerrard a long time. 'I don't know the full details but as the players' union we would want to be supportive of him.'

Former Liverpool striker Kenny Dalglish said he was with Gerrard shortly before the incident, and that there were no signs of any hostilities.

'There had been no indication of anything - Steve and the lads were having a really good time and everyone was happy,' Dalglish said. 'Now at this time he needs a lot of people around him to support him, and he could not be at a better football club for that.

'The Steven Gerrard I know is not just a great footballer but a really good person as well. He tries hard to be normal and act normally - that's why he is out trying to enjoy Christmas with his old friends, he's not someone who walks around with 20-odd security guards around him.'

Gerrard could turn to England captain John Terry for advice since he went through similar legal turmoil in 2002.

The Chelsea defender had to go through a trial to be cleared of starting a violent brawl at a London nightclub and causing a bouncer serious facial injuries.

'It was embarrassing how I ended up going to court about it,' Terry said earlier this month. 'Now, looking back, it did me the world of good - putting me through that process and the fears of maybe going down if found guilty.

'It made me realise not to go out to certain places and select friends more carefully because at the time I was young. You can get sucked into things and you can get sucked towards the wrong people and I needed to step back and realise the chances I had to achieve in football.'

Gerrard is due to appear in court for an initial hearing on Jan 23 with John Doran and Ian Smith, who are friends from the Huyton area of Liverpool where he grew up and were charged with the same offences.

Merseyside Police released three other men on bail pending further inquiries. -- AP