Torres has been named the club's player of the season, while Babel is the young player of the season in the poll being organised by the club's official website.

Torres is now heading for the European Championships as a key part of the Spanish squad, while Babel will be playing for Holland in Switzerland and Austria.

Torres is the runaway winner of Liverpool's top player award with a remarkable 78 per cent of the votes cast.

The striker hit a stunning 33 goals in his first season in English football, and broke the record for goals in the top flight scored by a foreign player in his debut campaign.

And Gerrard, who will have to watch the tournament on TV with England failing to qualify, expressed his delight at the impact Torres and Babel have made.

He said: "I enjoy playing alongside Torres, it is great to have him here and he has been player of the year hands down. His movement and runs are fantastic. Hopefully he can take this into next season.

"What has struck me about him, besides the goals, is his work rate and how much he is up for it.

"Usually when you bring in foreign players there can be a concern about whether they will be able to handle the physical side of the Premier League. How long are they going to take to adapt to the push and shove?

"But from the first game against Chelsea, he was all over their defenders, harassing them. If he gets kicked he's straight back up. He loves it! This is what has struck me most because I always expected him to get the goals."

Speaking to the club's website, Gerrard added: "He is a powerful boy, he doesn't go down. He is strong, has great character and works hard for the team. He is a great buy so far.

"As for Ryan, he is still young and has made a big impact from the bench, and he has also done well in some matches he has started and he has a bright future.

"If he's willing to learn then he has got the right players around him to help his game. But it is all about Ryan now and how much he wants to take his game to the next level, because he has certainly got the attributes.

"He has got the ability, there is no doubt about it. He is strong, quick, can set goals up and score. He's got it all.

"But I have seen it with so many players when they have had this ability and not taken it to the next level. It is up to him now how much he wants to be one of the top players about, because he certainly could be."

Torres is now aiming for even more success in Euro 2008, having been selected for the Spanish squad along with club colleagues Jose Reina, Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa.

Spain face friendlies against Peru (May 31) and USA (June 4) before kicking off their opening group match against Russia in Innsbruck on June 10.

Gerrard was runner-up, with 8.2 per cent of the votes while midfielder Javier Mascherano was a close third with 6.9 per cent.

The Argentinian became an increasingly important part of Liverpool's midfield as the season progressed, and he said: "It is a matter of great pride for me to represent the famous name of Liverpool.

"I want to play my part in making this club even more successful. I want to ensure this is the last season without a trophy for a long time.

"We had a season which had many highlights but also left us with a feeling that maybe we could have achieved more.

"There are some important lessons we must think about as a team during the summer months and learn, before we come back for next season.

"We lost too many points at home - we cannot do that next season. We lost too many late goals and did not kill teams off sometimes when we had the chances."

On a personal note, Mascherano said: "Of course I can be better. I look at the other players and try to learn things from them. All the time I try to improve."

Another striker - Hungarian youngster Krisztian Nemeth - won the reserves player of the season award.