Steven Gerrard's Liverpool career ended in total humiliation as Brendan Rodgers's side were thrashed 6-1 away to Stoke City on Sunday afternoon to mark their biggest defeat for 52 years.

Charlie Adam fired the first real meaningful effort at goal and the ex-Liverpool man hit a strike from around 30 yards out that fizzed just over inside the first five minutes.

Marko Arnautovic's raking diagonal pass almost put Jonathan Walters through on goal, but Alberto Moreno did well to thwart the striker.

Philippe Coutinho wasted a good opening for the visitors when he blazed high over the bar after being played through by Gerrard.

Adam again was quick to try his luck from range, but once again the Scotland international's 30-yard effort flew over the bar on 18 minutes.

However, the Potters did take the lead shortly after when Mame Biram Diouf pounced on a rebound after Simon Mignolet had parried Adam's initial shot on the edge of the box.

Diouf doubled his tally for the afternoon four minutes later when he blasted the ball into the roof of the net.

Walters then piled further misery on the Reds on the half-hour mark when he nodded home from close range, after Emre Can could only head Adam's cross back towards his own goal.

Adam finally got his goal four minutes before the break with a low shot, before Steven Nzonzi netted on the cusp of the interval to leave Brendan Rodgers's side in disarray.

After the break, Stoke pressed for a sixth and were unhappy when referee Lee Mason waved away appeals for a penalty after the ball grazed the arm of Mamadou Sakho.

Adam Lallana almost gave the travelling support something to cheer after the hour mark, but, after dancing his way through the Stoke defence, the midfielder's effort was well saved by Asmir Begovic.

The departing Gerrard did manage to grab a late memento to his Liverpool career on 70 minutes when he reduced the deficit, but it was an otherwise painful end to a trophy-laden 17 years at Anfield.

However, it was former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch who had the final say. The tall forward put the gloss on the result for the Potters inside the final 10 minutes to condemn Rodgers's men to arguably the lowest point in the Northern Irishman's three seasons at Anfield.

The defeat saw Tottenham Hotspur leapfrog the Reds into fifth in the final Premier League standings.