Steven Gerrard

Steven Gerrard is the Liverpool Football Club Captain. He has to be one of the biggest players ever to have graced the game of football and possibly the greatest legend of all time at LFC. He was born, Steven George Gerrard, on 30th May 1980, in Whiston, Merseyside. He joined the Liverpool FC Academy at the age of nine. He made his first team debut in 1998, by 200 had cemented a regular place in the side and in 2003 replaced Sami Hyppia as club captain, a position he has retained ever since. In addition to his club career, he has also represented England since 2000, playing in three European Championships and 2 World Cups, gaining over 100 caps for his country and also is presently the captain of his national side and looks likely to lead them to the next World Cup in Brazil in 2014.

Gerrard is renowned for his box-to-box action midfield role for Liverpool. He leads by example, heavily committing himself in defence and with his pristine passing both highly accurate and with varying range, he plays a key role in Liverpool’s attack. He has, during his career, even been advanced further forward from central midfield, into a support striker role. He has made over 600 appearances for Liverpool and has scored over 150 goals, thus averaging a goal every four games. His trademark free kicks make him one of the most dangerous set-piece takers out there. What separates Gerrard, though, from other world class players, is his ability to step up to the table in big games. He does not shirk responsibility when the stakes are high. My three favourite Gerrard scoring moments all came in critical times during important fixtures. In the 2005 Champions League campaign, when we needed a third goal against Olympiacos at Anfield during the final group game, in order to qualify, Gerrard produced a fantastic strike from 25 yards outside the box, which flew past the keeper, sending Sky Sports commentator, Andy Gray, famously wild. and the adoring Kop even wilder.

In the European Cup final later that year, in the Ataturk Stadium, Istanbul, with Liverpool trailing 3-0 at half time against the mighty AC Milan, it was captain, Steven Gerrard, who began the great comeback, with a stunning header.

After a tenuous match Gerrard emerged as the winning captain and lifting the European Cup was, I feel, his greatest ever moment in a Liverpool shirt.

The third most memorable goal was the winning strike of the 2006 FA Cup final in Cardiff against West Ham, which was later named the ‘Gerrard Final’ in honour of his spectacular volley and match-winning display.

Luckily for me, I was at all three of these games and saw the goals exactly as they happened. It meant a lot, seeing my namesake hit the pinnacle of his career.

He is the only player ever to have scored in the League Cup Final, FA Cup Final, UEFA Cup Final and European Cup Final.

His career hit a few dark spots along the way too, the most notorious downspot in his career was when he flirted with leaving Liverpool for Chelsea, which only at the last minute was thwarted, him realising the loyalty of his supporters at Liverpool and how important the club actually was to him. He has been sent off on numerous occasions, mainly for his fiery challenges. Certainly, early on in his career, he was well-known for hard two-footed challenges. He has also been unfortunately affected by recurring injuries, in particular his groin. A big downside was him missing out on the 2002 World Cup Finals due to his groin flaring up in Liverpool’s final match of that season.

Gerrard’s devotion to Liverpool has meant he is one of the longest serving players ever at the club. He has known no other club throughout his career putting him in the bracket of the likes of Paolo Maldini, another legendary one-club player (AC Milan). His great vice captain, Jamie Carragher, supported him throughout most of his career and demonstrated himself to be a loyal, one club servant. As Gerrard has moved from strength to strength and into the twilight of his career, many fans discuss the legacy of Steven Gerrard. He is a homegrown talent who has led the club to dizzy heights, the only major club medal to allude him being the Premiership Champions one. Before Gerrard’s time, Kenny Dalgleish was widely viewed as the greatest Liverpool legend. Steven Gerrard will be remembered in the same vein as Liverpool greats, such as ‘King Kenny’. and will probably ultimately be recognised as the greatest Liverpool legend of alltime. Hopefully, the last medal for his collection can be gained in the last two or three seasons of his playing career. Perhaps, Steven Gerrard will go on to emulate further Dalgleish, and go on to represent the club at managerial level?