Sacramento (California), July 18 (IANS): Liverpool great Steven Gerrard scored on his Major League Soccer (MLS) debut and played a prominent role in Los Angeles Galaxy's 5-2 win against San Jose Earthquakes.

Apart from scoring, he had a prime role in striker Robbie Keane's two goals in his hat-trick on Friday. The 35-year-old scored in the 37th minute of the game restoring parity for his side at 2-2.

"It was very pleasing to get off the mark. I'm starting to feel a little bit sharper, I'm very close to full fitness," Gerrard was quoted as saying by bbc.co.uk after the match.

"I felt like a kid out there again. I don't want to come off - I want to play as much football as I can. One of the reasons why I've come to this team was to start all the games and play as many minutes as possible.

"I was determined not to become a squad player. I still feel like I've got energy, I still love the game, I'm enjoying training and I'm settling in pretty nicely," he said.

The match was attended by former England captain David Beckham, who had previously featured for LA Galaxy.