Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard said watching his team-mates from the sidelines during his six-month injury lay-off had been a "nightmare". The 31-year-old made his first appearance since a groin operation in March in the Reds' 2-1 Carling Cup win at Brighton on Wednesday. "It's been a nightmare for me. I'm not the best when I'm out injured and watching games," he said. "It's been tough and the last six months have been a rollercoaster." Gerrard would have been back in action sooner but picked up an infection in late July which set him back a few more weeks, but he played the last 15 minutes of Wednesday's game. "It's behind me now and I'm looking forward to getting match fit and getting back in the starting line-up," added the England midfielder. "I'd been out a long time and it was fantastic to be out there in that kit again and it was nice to get a win as well." The victory came in a competition that is being taken seriously by manager Kenny Dalglish, and Gerrard is hopeful the Reds will be rewarded with a good run. "We're glad to be in the draw for the next round and we're looking forward to seeing who we get in the draw on Saturday," he added. "We haven't been to a major cup final for a long time. "We have to take every cup seriously and when there's no Europe that makes it easier to put strong sides out."