Go Now

It fuels the fire of every football supporter who believes players have lost touch with the modern day fan.  There have been plenty of “I want to leave” cries by footballers before and few, if any, ever end with the hosting club’s supporters understanding the player’s point of view.

The transfer system in football is a complex and unique one, and for us fans there are unwritten rules which can dictate whether we agree with a player leaving or not.  If your club is doing well and a good, decent, loyal player is sold then we can reconcile ourselves with a belief “the club must know best”.  It can be tough if your club has sold a player for the money, and judgement is held over until we see how well the money is then re-invested.  But it is generally accepted for the employer, the club, to decide when they have had enough of the employee, the player.

This is not like the industries we all work in.  If you fancy moving companies then you just apply to another company and don’t make anything public until you’ve been accepted.  It’s rare for your employer to negotiate with your new one for you to move, and they certainly wouldn’t receive a fee for their trouble either..  But in football we have, what seems, an arcane system of moving people around like cattle. 

The imaginary line is crossed when a player engineers a move.  Of course few of us ever know the truth of why a player is sold.  Perhaps he’s injury-prone, maybe he just didn’t get on with the management or the team, or just couldn’t fit into the style of play they wanted?  Clubs don’t generally like a player to be in control during this process as they would rather keep the supporters onside during the whole episode.

Another odd aspect of supporter behaviour is how they don’t like players deciding to leave their club.  Why is it that we’re only too pleased for players to join our club, then hate them leaving, when we’re quick to forget they’ve already left another club for ours in the first place?  But that’s the way it is.

Raheem Sterling has been gradually building up to a moment of engineering a move away from Liverpool.  This process can be likened to a game of cards, or chess, and Sterling has now made his intentions clear by playing some of his best cards.  Of course Liverpool hold the ace as Sterling is under contract and if they don’t want to accept an offer then they don’t have to.  Clubs can become so reliant on transfers that they can be reluctant to keep a player who doesn’t want to be there, for fear of damaging morale and ultimately affecting the fortunes of the team.  Then of course there is the Bosman ruling which allows a player to leave at the end of his contract.

‘Bosman’ has changed the dynamics of the player/club relationship and seen the emergence of a power shift towards agents.  Agents are the conduit for the player to engineer a move.  Players can hide behind them when contract negotiations are going on, and they can even be the butt of a club’s ire if they can’t get the player to agree to their terms.

Sterling’s agent is in the process of leaving a larger firm to set up on his own.  It would appear to the outsider he is very keen to promote his own cause presumably in a bid to attract more clients.  It’s an interesting tactic but one which is surely only to provide him with clients who want an agent who thinks only of himself and them, rather than understand the nuances of keeping a player’s employer involved to produce an outcome all parties can be pleased with.

Aidy Ward has worked with respected names in the agency business such as Impact Sports Management and Rob Segal.  His clients include Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Saido Berahino.  Few will be surprised that Berahino seems to be as keen as discussing a new contract with his club, West Brom, as Sterling does with Liverpool.

Ward recently came to prominence after the Evening Standard reported a tirade, attributed to Ward, rubbishing the club, Jamie Carragher and everyone else, it seemed, stating Sterling wouldn’t sign a contract for any money.

Some may argue Ward is only doing his job and as employed by the player he could argue he has the player’s best interests to consider and is only concerned about the player’s career rather than what a club wants.  But what Ward has created is a rift between the player and his employer and unless we end up with a situation where players are employed by agents alone, then this is not going to end well.  You rarely hear of experienced and competent agents as they exist in the background to advise their clients and deal with contract negotiations on their behalf.  Ward appears to be looking for his fifteen minutes of fame and could ultimately ruin the prospects of Sterling, Berahino et al.

Clubs, despite what individuals like Ward may prefer, do still hold the balance of power and so they should, they are the employer after all.  Imagine how any prospective club will be anticipating contract discussions with Ward if he touts Sterling around.  If they do sign him, will they ever know whether he’s happy or not?  Or will it depend on whether Ward decides Sterling needs to move clubs again?

Liverpool bought Sterling from Queen’s Park Rangers academy by Rafa Benitez in February 2010.  He was a regular in the Liverpool youth side eventually being handed his First Team debut by Kenny Dalglish against Wigan in March 2012.  Liverpool have done very well to keep him away from the media regarding club issues.  When Sterling has been in the press it’s been for non-football incidents.  But this whole episode has possibly driven a wedge between the two sides which may never be breached.

When I think back on coverage around the club on Sterling I cannot recall much from him regarding how proud he is to be a Liverpool player, who is favourite player of the past was and how he’s determined to do whatever is required to bring success to the club.  Not every player does this, I’ll admit, but for clubs such as Liverpool, we fans demand players understand the history, understand the stature, are respectful of what we believe it is like to wear the club’s colours.

Of course we don’t want the Harry Kewell example, when trying to convince us all how proud he was to wear the iconic number seven shirt he then struggled to name any of the previous incumbents!  But if you want the fans to worship you then to declare your undying love for the club is a great way to achieve this.  The absence of such a statement rarely matters, though, until contract negotiations hit the buffers and unless you have the supporters on your side you will suffer accusations of ‘not caring’, ‘only interested in money’ or other such fruitier labels.

Sterling, who is reportedly on a £30,000 per week, has two years left on his current contract.  Things started to get messy at the beginning of the year when Brendan Rodgers made it publicly known he believed Sterling shouldn’t sign for more than £100,000 per week as this was more than enough for a player of his age and he would have plenty of opportunity in his career to earn the sort of sums which have been bandied about.  There were suggestions ‘he’ had turned down an offer of this value and this gave him the idea give an interview trying to dispel the rumours about his motivation for his career.  Liverpool were unaware of his plans for the interview and it’s clear they didn’t take kindly to it.  It was a clumsy attempt to explain to supporters that Sterling wasn’t interested in the money, he was only interested in playing at the highest level.

Opinions were divided as to whether he managed to get this across, but what it did do was shine the spotlight on his subsequent performances.  Fans were rightly justified in expecting him to take this determination onto the pitch and almost drag his team through to a top four finish in the Premier League.  To almost all observers his form seemed to dip alarmingly.  Other than a goal against Newcastle, he was unbelievably poor in front of goal with numerous examples of him ballooning a ball over the bar when put through on goal with a gaping net seemingly at his mercy.  It would be very difficult to accuse Sterling of ‘busting a gut’ to try and help Liverpool qualify for the Champions League.  Much as I don’t agree with the churlishness of the “call yourself worth £150,000?” accusations every time a pass is misplaced or a touch is poor, as if every player who is paid that amount is faultless, you have to say Sterling has given more than enough ammunition to this means of attack from supporters.

Contrast this with Luis Suarez.  The summer of 2013 was full of rumours and counter-rumours of his desire to play anywhere other than Anfield.  There was the suggestion he wanted to go to Arsenal, when it was clear to all concerned there’s no way Liverpool would sell him to a top four rival.  Once the uncertainty came to an end the subsequent season was a memorable one for both Suarez and the club.  No one could accuse Suarez of not trying at any point during that season as Liverpool came as close to winning their first League title since 1990 as they’ve ever done.  This is where supporters are right to compare the difference.

Considering Sterling's performances this season, when the absence of Suarez and Sturridge propelled him to 'star status', in my opinion he has regressed as a player.  Last season I was really impressed with his development in being able to kick a ball over distance.  There were countless examples of him playing a through-ball to Suarez or Sturridge to run onto and he was even seen shooting from distance on numerous occasions.  This season we have seen little of this and I am left with the view Liverpool is not weakened by his absence.

So my advice to you Raheem is go.  Go, if you don’t think Liverpool can satisfy your exacting standards and requirements.  You may never find a club who truly loves you, you may never find a club you truly love.  You may end up like a Michael Owen, only truly loved when wearing the colours of your country rather than any of the domestic shirts you wore.  I cannot really stomach the idea of Sterling lining up for Liverpool at the start of the new season, but if you somehow manage to come through it all I, along with many others, will expect you to concentrate on what you’re paid to do and do your utmost to help us get back into Champions League football.

But where would you go?  Manchester City? Chelsea? Arsenal? Real Madrid?  None of those clubs are likely to guarantee you regular first team starts, although they are likely to meet your agent’s salary targets.  Real Madrid would be an interesting one, especially if Benitez gets the job.  But are you prepared to for the public scrutiny in a way Gareth Bale has had to come to terms with?

And what if you are still with Liverpool in August?  What will your agent make of this and will this drive a wedge between you and him rather than between you and the club. 

One aspect which does cause me concern if Sterling is still at Anfield in three months’ time is how a post-Gerrard dressing room deals with him.  Gerrard down the years has done so much for young players at Anfield and has often been the glue between players and club, but he’s not there now and we could be in for a period of latent mutiny.  If this does transpire then the seeds of this uncertainty can be seen to have been planted throughout the Sterling saga.

Maybe the best thing for all concerned is to say ‘thanks for coming and have a nice life, now let’s move on’.

The Greatest?

The announcement many of us knew would come someday, but few of us were looking forward to, has now come.  At the end of the season Steven Gerrard will leave Liverpool.

I watched his debut, I seem to have watched every game.  Right from the start you knew he had something about him, and when he emerged he was one of a number of young players we were desperate to become the next big thing.  One thing which stood out to me early on was his speed across the ground and his stamina.  This developed into his long stride, driving the team on, willing them to success.  This brought supporters to their feet and inspired previously lethargic teammates.

Is he the greatest player to ever play for the club?  I don’t know, but he’s in my top five favourite Liverpool players of all time, along with Kenny Dalglish, Robbie Fowler, John Barnes and Ian Rush.  You could argue he was more influential in cup finals than Dalglish ever was, but then he didn’t inspire a side to win League titles as Dalglish did.  Both men made other players great as Ian Rush wouldn’t have been the player he was without Dalglish, nor would David Johnson, much as Torres and Suarez wouldn’t have had the impact they did without Gerrard.  He will be remembered as one of the greatest players of his generation and so many who played with and alongside him, will testify to this.  The fact he is mentioned in the same breath as Dalglish is testament to his achievements.  For many he is Liverpool Football Club, possibly in a way Billy Liddell was, often playing in a side undeserving of his huge talents.  When you consider how his early career was blighted with injuries it is also the mark of the man he has played for the club for over 16 years.

Steven George Gerrard was born on 30^th May 1980 in Whiston, Prescot and went to school in Huyton.  He made his debut when he came on late in the game for Veggard Heggem against Blackburn at Anfield in November 1998.  He was a scrawny 18 year old and joined a side which contained Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen, Jamie Carragher and Jamie Redknapp.  He made his first start a week later at White Hart Lane, but was replaced ten minutes into the second half.  The first sign of his ability came in the Merseyside derby the following April, when he came on for Heggem with twenty minutes to go and cleared two shots off the line as Liverpool won, 3-2.

He’d come to the attention of Liverpool scouts when he was 8.  At the age of 15 he was the same height as Owen, but soon grew, causing him problems with his back and restricting his playing time.  In his early career he was used in a number of different positions including central and right midfield as well as right and left back.  During the late 1990’s a number of young players made it into the first team, all carrying the hopes of dreams of the supporters that one day they might make it big.  Michael Owen, Jamie Carragher, David Thompson, Steve Harkness, Dominic Matteo and Gerrard, all broke through with Owen, Carragher and Gerrard entering the Liverpool history books in the chapter marked, “Legend”.

His first goal came in early December 1999 at Anfield against Sheffield Wednesday.  Rigobert Song picked up the ball wide on the right, just inside the Wednesday half and Gerrard was stood in the centre circle calling for the ball.  Song obliged and Gerrard drove towards the area, side-stepping past two Wednesday defenders before sliding the ball past Pressman.  It was a great run, and a wonderful way to open your account.  It was a great taster of what was to come.

Gerrard’s youthful exuberance was in evidence in the Merseyside derby the following season when his rash challenge on Kevin Campbell earned him a red card.  He’d come on as sub that day and seemed too highly strung.  By then he’d earned England honours at under-18 and under-21 level and then in May 2000 came his first full cap when, a day after his 20^th birthday, he was in the team which beat Ukraine at Wembley in their final warm-up game before Euro 2000.  Ex-Liverpool star, Kevin Keegan, gave Gerrard his first cap yet his early days with the England squad were tinged with shyness, homesickness and fears he just didn’t deserve to be in the company of players such as Shearer, Seaman, Scholes and Adams.  He made his first international tournament appearance as a substitute for Owen against Germany in Charleroi.  It wasn’t long before he made his mark with a tough challenge on Didi Hamann who “screamed like a girl”, as the young Gerrard would later claim.  During that tournament his homesickness got so bad he even rang his mum telling her he wanted to come home.

2000-2001 was the season when Gerrard really broke through and made a name for himself throughout Europe.  He was an integral part of the team which won an unprecedented cup-treble.  Making 50 appearances that season he became an important part of the mixture between youth and experience Gerard Houllier was building.  He soon started up a battle with Danny Murphy to see who could outscore each other, and both were under the tutelage of Gary McAllister.  Gerrard’s goal in the UEFA Cup Final against Alaves was one of his most important and was typical of the combative, energetic midfielder he’d become, surging from deep.  That season also contained another facet which was to become his trademark – the shot from distance.  He unveiled this to great effect beating Fabien Barthez from 30 yards when Manchester United visited Anfield at the end of March.  His performances that season earned him the Professional Footballer Association’s Young Player of the Year award.

Internationally this season was also to be remembered for his first England goal when he scored their 2^nd in the famous 5-1 win in Germany.  Manager, Sven-Goran Eriksson had installed him in an exciting midfield alongside, Beckham and Scholes but after playing a part in England’s qualification for the finals in Japan and South Korea, he missed the tournament through another injury.  Gerrard’s progress on the pitch was often threatened by injuries off it as his continued growing pains affected his posture.  Houllier even had the idea of sending him to a French dentist to have his wisdom teeth removed in the belief this would aid his back problems. 

After a disappointing season in 2002, another cup success came a year later when Gerrard scored the opening goal in a 2-0 win over Manchester United at Milllenium Stadium with another shot from about 30 yards out on the left which took a slight deflection off Beckham.  Seven months later and Gerrard’s influence over this team was rewarded with the captain’s armband after Houllier decided he was a better choice than Sami Hyypia.  Hyypia took the decision with good grace as his own form improved but now Gerrard was the driving force within the team.

Rafa Benitez arrived in 2004 and struck up a good relationship with his captain but the Champions League campaign stuttered with defeats to Olympiakos and Monaco had left Liverpool going into the final group game at home to Olympiakos needing to win.  Rivaldo gave the visitors a first half lead and Liverpool now needed to score three.  But then goals from second half substitutes, Sinama-Pongolle and Neil Mellor gave them hope.  With four minutes to go, Carragher’s ball forward was knocked down by Mellor and Gerrard met it on the half-volley and it thundered past the Greek keeper nearly breaking the back of the net.  It was a stunning strike, and one which will be remembered not only for the goal, the celebration but the commentary which accompanied it

“You beauty, what a hit son, what a hit”

Liverpool were through and after seeing off Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus and Chelsea, they were into the Champions League Final in Istanbul where they were up against Italian champions, Milan.  The game has gone down as the stuff of legend with Milan racing into a 3-goal half time lead having played some scintillating football for the first 45 minutes.  But it was Gerrard who inspired his team back into the game after some rousing singing from the travelling Liverpool fans at the break.  Riise’s cross into the area ten minutes into the second half was headed in by Gerrard and this inspired one of the most remarkable comebacks anyone can remember, when Liverpool scored three goals in six bizarre minutes and the game was level.  The penalty shootout win earned the club their fifth European Cup and Gerrard was voted Man of the Match.

That season had been his best return for goals (13), but the following one surpassed that as he was the club’s top scorer with 23 goals in all competitions.  The season culminated in another memorable match when Liverpool took on West Ham in the FA Cup Final at the Millenium Stadium.  After going 2-goals down, Gerrard provided the ball for Cisse to volley one back and then early in the second half he thundered home the equaliser after Crouch’s knockdown.  After West Ham went back in front, Liverpool appeared to be heading for defeat when Gerrard fired one of the best goals ever seen in an FA Cup Final.  He volleyed the ball arrow-straight from about 35 yards out and it barely rose above the ground beating Hislop low to his right.  It was a stunning strike coming just as the time added on was being announced.  Gerrard would later explain in his autobiography that he was suffering badly with cramp and he took the decision to hit it first time as he could hardly move.  Had he been fully fit then he would probably have taken the ball on and tried to get into the area.  Gerrard converted his penalty in the shootout as Liverpool won another trophy and the game was to be known as “The Gerrard Final”.  Down the years there are only a few players to have a final named after them, Matthews, Villa and now Gerrard.

He won the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award that year too and things could hardly be better for him on and off the pitch.  That summer he played an important part in England’s World Cup campaign in Germany, although it ended in disappointment as he was one of the players to miss his penalty kick in the shootout defeat to Portugal.

2006-07 saw Gerrard make over 50 appearances as Liverpool again made the Champions League Final, but this time there was to be no fairy-tale as Milan got their revenge.   Liverpool again finished third in the League but their defence of the FA Cup faltered at the first hurdle as Arsenal won at Anfield.  The following season saw him score a hat-trick in the competition when Luton visited Anfield in a Third Round replay.  Jamie Carragher was named captain for his 500^th match for Liverpool and Gerrard’s triple came in just 18 second half minutes.  But that season will be remembered for Fernando Torres first season in English football and Gerrard soon built up a strong partnership with the young Spaniard which went a long way to helping him net 33 times and 24 in the League, the most number of League goals scored by a non-British player during his debut season in England’s top division.

Gerrard, himself, added 21 goals as Liverpool narrowly missed out on their third Champions League Final in four years when Chelsea beat them in extra time.  A fourth place finish was the pre-requisite to the following season when they had their best ever League season since 1990, pushing Manchester United all the way.  Gerrard was top scorer for the season as he netted twice in a memorable night against Real Madrid at Anfield.  Again Liverpool succumbed to Chelsea in the Champions League but this time at the Quarter-Final stage.  In the League they lost just one of their last 27 matches, dropping just 2pts in their final 11 games.  A run which included another memorable performance to come from behind and beat United, 4-1 at Old Trafford with Gerrard and Torres particularly influential.  But United was forced to put together one of their best finishes to a season to deny their rivals.  In plenty of other seasons, Liverpool’s tally of 84pts would have been enough to carry off the title, a measure of how well United had to be to beat them.

Gerrard was again awarded at the end of the season, picking up the Football Writers Footballer of the Year.  Liverpool were unable to match this performance a year later, as they went out of the early rounds of both FA and League Cups and finished 7^th in the League.  They didn’t get out of the group stage of the Champions League but their subsequent Europa League qualification saw them reach the Semi-Finals.  The summer saw Gerrard captain his country at the World Cup and initially things got off to a great start as he scored the opener against USA, but things turned sour as the performances got worse, culminating in a humiliation at the hands of Germany.  Instead of being used as a talisman, Gerrard found himself blamed by his own manager for the team’s impotence and the whole experience was utterly forgettable.

The dreadful season was to cost Benitez his job, yet the club was in complete turmoil as both owners fought with each other and their manager.  For reasons best known to themselves they decided Roy Hodgson was the man to replace Benitez but performances did not improve, in fact they got worse.  Hodgson only lasted till Christmas as new owners took over and installed club legend, Kenny Dalglish.  His influence galvanised the team to 6^th from having been just 3pts above the bottom three when he took over.  On the downside, Liverpool lost Torres to Chelsea, something which affected Gerrard who had become really close to him.  But Liverpool’s replacement was Luis Suarez and he was to build an even greater partnership with Gerrard over the next few seasons.

2011-12 saw Gerrard lift Liverpool’s first trophy for seven years as they beat Cardiff in the League Cup Final.  They also reached Wembley for the FA Cup Final but were narrowly beaten by Chelsea.  Injuries confined him to only able to play in half the Premier League games, with the highlight coming on a Tuesday night in March where his 5^th hat-trick helped beat Everton in his 400^th Premier League appearance.  The 8^th place League finish did for Dalglish though, and Gerrard was now working with his 5^th manager as Brendan Rodgers took over.

Rodgers immediately installed an individual training regime for his captain and it soon paid dividends as Gerrard played every minute of every Premier League game until he went off with an injury against Newcastle in late April, game 35.  No one played more matches than he did that season and the Newcastle game, which proved to be his last of the season, was a thumping 6-0 away win and was an early preview of what was to follow.

Gerrard was now the talisman to probably the third great team during his time at Anfield and 2013-14 was one of the best in recent times.  Buoyed by the prolific strike partnership of Suarez and Sturridge, along with the industry of Coutinho, Sterling, Henderson and Gerrard, Liverpool came within a whisker of winning the Premier League.  Gerrard played another 39 games during the season and returned another 14 goals to add to his tally.  The football played that term was scintillating, destroying teams on a regular basis, as Gerrard willed the team on.  The impact the player has had over the years can be measured by a number of neutrals who wanted Liverpool to win the title purely for Gerrard and the loyalty he’d shown the club.

In the end it wasn’t to be but Champions League football finally returned to Anfield after an absence of four years.  The mood around the club was sky high with thousands taking to the streets just to welcome the team to each home game.  But from there it all gradually slipped away, as Suarez left for Barcelona and the football played in the early part of this season wasn’t a patch on what had come just months before.  Sturridge’s injury also hit the team hard after he’d given a taste of what might be alongside Balotelli against Spurs.

The end came after a conversation between Rodgers and Gerrard where the Liverpool manager explained he was going to manage Gerrard’s game-play.  The 34 year old said he was intelligent enough to realise he wasn’t going to play as often as he would like and therefore he finally revealed he would move on. 

So many professionals within the game have stated their admiration of the player, such as Zinedine Zidane

“He has great passing ability, can tackle and score goals, but most importantly he gives the players around him confidence and belief.  You can’t learn that – players like him are just born with that presence.”

In 2009, Zidane had been asked how highly he rated the Liverpool captain and said

“Is he the best in the world?  He might not get the attention of Messi or Ronaldo but, yes, I think he just might be”

Luis Suarez sent his own tribute

“With you I have lived one of the best moments of my career in a stadium.  I am proud to say I played with a legend like you.  I admire everything you have done during the years in Liverpool MY FRIEND.  I wish you the best of the best!!  YNWA”

Xabi Alonso tweeted a picture of himself with Gerrard, with the message “My hero. My mate”

Dietmar Hamman, stated

“What a career, what a player.  Thanks for the many wonderful moments.”

Thierry Henry

“He, for me, is Liverpool”

Francesco Totti said,

“Steven Gerrard would be the captain of my Word XI dream team”

And all the Liverpool squad gave their praise and tribute to their captain, many of which pointed to the help and support he gave them all.

Emre Can

“I have learned a lot from him.  Steven is the greatest captain Liverpool have ever had and I feel comfortable on the pitch because I always know he is behind me.  I hope to be similar to Gerrard but it isn’t going to be easy because he’s been so successful”

Adam Lallana

“I grew up watching him.  To my best mates, he’s their legend.  For me to be playing alongside him, not just at England but at club level, is quite surreal really.”

Rickie Lambert

“Stevie is his own man but he is Mr Liverpool.  He’s no.1 for me and I think he always will be.  He has meant everything to me growing up as a Liverpool fan.  The nights he has given Liverpool fans are unbelievable – I’ll never forget them and I know the Liverpool fans will never forget them”

Jordan Henderson

“He is a top player but he is also a top person.  The lads can go to him with anything and he will always help them out and put them first.  That is massive as a captain.  With the aura that he has got, he could be a different person but he is very humble”

Philippe Coutinho

“I try to observe him in training, his playing style.  He’s phenomenal.  It’s a pleasure for me to be playing alongside him.”

Jon Flanagan

“Steven Gerrard was my hero growing up, so to run out and play with him has been a dream come true.  He is still my hero now”

Mario Balotelli

“Wow.  I think of him as being at the same level as Pirlo.  Vision, technique but he is powerful as well.  Stevie can do anything, he’s an amazing player.  It’s going to be very difficult for the team to find another player like him in the future”

Dejan Lovren

“When you come to Liverpool, you look at someone like Steven and you realise very quickly what it means to play for this club.  Steven is a fantastic player but he also has a massive personality and his influence in the dressing room is more than just being our captain”

Lucas Leiva

“When you say the name Steven Gerrard, you automatically think Liverpool Football Club.  He really is the symbol of the club.  He is a player who has always valued the club too.  I’ve never played with a player as complete as him”

Alberto Moreno

“I don’t have words for Stevie; he’s a great footballer and he’s a special person, not just here but at a world level.  Steven Gerrard is a great player.  I am proud to be playing with him.”

Mamadou Sakho

“The player that always impresses at Liverpool is Mr Gerrard.  He’s a respectful man, calm, serene, with a foot like clockwork.  He puts the ball exactly where he wants.  He’s an exceptional person on and off the pitch”

Raheem Sterling

“He has been brilliant for me.  He’s always looking after me, always checking to see if I’m alright.  He’s an inspiration and a great captain”

Kolo Toure

“Steven is a man for great days.  He makes the magic when no one can make it.  That is why he is one of the best players in the world.  I am really happy to have him as a captain first and as a man because he is a great player”

Daniel Sturridge

“Stevie will always be a legend – not just for Liverpool but to England as well.  He will go down in history as one of the best midfielders in the game.  He’s just unbelievable every day, a great leader and the perfect example for every young player around the country.”

Carlo Ancelotti

“He is undoubtedly one of the best midfield players in the world.”

Kenny Dalglish

“He’s a fantastic statesman; he has been unbelievably successful at this football club with what he’s done, the amount of games he has pulled out of the mire, and the general way he conducts himself.”

Daniele de Rossi

“Gerrard has been my idol for 10 years and is one of the best players in the world.  He is the example of what all midfield players aspire to”

Gus Hiddink

“I love Gerrard’s qualities as a player and a leader.  Technically and tactically he is the best.  He is a player who fans can identify themselves with and a man who carries the love for his club on his club badge.  There is not another player in the world who combines all those qualities”

Kaka

“An excellent player, in my opinion, he is a modern player because he is a player who runs, marks, knows how to pass, cross, score goals and he is a leader on the field for Liverpool.  So he is a player that I would like to have in my team”

Ronaldinho

“For me, in the position he plays, he is one of the very best in the world.  For the job he performs, for me, he is one of the greatest.”

For a man so inspirational to many players and fans alike, what was his special motivation?  His autobiography explains all

“Everytime I drive into Anfield, I slow to a crawl as I pass through the Shankly Gates. My eyes are drawn towards the Hillsborough Memorial. I see the tributes to the ninety-six Liverpool Fans who never returned from that FA cup semi-final in 1989. I see the scarves left by visiting fans, signs of respect that lie alongside wreaths placed by families whose tears will never dry. I see the flame that burns always, reminding the world that the ninety-six will never, ever be forgotten.
As my car inches past the Memorial, I look down the names of those who fell on the Leppings Lane End, never to rise again. My eyes stop at one name. Jon-Paul Gilhooley, ten years old, the youngest of those who died following the team he loved. A boy whose life was snatched away just as it was starting. Crushed to death in a stand unfit for human beings. I knew Jon-Paul. He was my cousin. A shiver runs down my spine. I make the sign of the Cross and drive on. 

Whenever I saw Jon-Paul’s parents during my Youth Trainee Scheme days at Anfield, it gave me an extra determination to succeed.  Just before I made my Liverpool debut, they said “Jon-Paul would be so proud of you”.  During the match I felt Jon-Paul was looking down on me, pleased I was fulfilling a dream we both shared.

Hillsborough must never be allowed to happen again.  No one should lose a life or a relative at a football match.  Everytime I see Jon-Paul’s name cut into the cold marble outside the Shankly Gates, I fill with sadness and anger.  I have never let anyone know this before, but it’s true; I play for Jon-Paul”

There will be many a debate on who was the greatest and the fact Gerrard is spoken alongside players such as Dalglish, Barnes, Fowler and Hansen just tells you the impact his career had on the club.  Just imagine a midfield with Gerrard, Souness, Molby and Xabi Alonso.

In Gerrard’s final season at Anfield how fitting would it be for his final game for the club to be on 30^th May, his 35^th birthday.  The FA Cup Final is set for 30^th May 2015.

697 club appearances, 182 goals so far.  114 international caps, 21 goals, 6 international tournaments.

Champions League winner, 2005

UEFA Cup winner, 2001

FA Cup winner, 2001 and 2006

League Cup winner, 2001, 2003, 2012

FWA Footballer of the Year 2009

PFA Player of the Year 2006

PFA Young Player of the Year 2001

Research

Lfchistory. Com

LFCextra

Liverpoolfc.com

Gerrard – My Autobiography