The name that first comes to our mind when we hear the name Liverpool Football Club is none other than Steven Gerrard.
The iconic number 8 has spent 17 glorious years of his career at Anfield and now moved on to American franchise Los Angeles Galaxy to spend the twilight of his career, there.
Most football fans were shocked with his decision to leave Anfield as he was always regarded as a one club man.
At his peak he rejected many lucrative offers from clubs like Real Madrid, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Chelsea, Manchester United and many more.
Even the great Zinedine Zidane commented in 2003 that he would like to have the young Scouser as his midfield partner at Santiago Bernabeu when Real Madrid were starting the dream project called “Galacticos”.
Legendary Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho also admitted that he tried to bring Stevie G to Chelsea, but failed and again tried to bring him to Inter Milan during his glorious spell at San Siro, as the Liverpool captain was too loyal to his boyhood club.
Steven Gerrard, a boyhood Liverpool fan started out playing for hometown team Whiston Juniors, where he was noticed by Liverpool scouts. He later joined the Liverpool Academy at the age of nine.
He signed his first professional contract with the Reds on 5th November 1997.
Gerrard made his Liverpool first-team debut on 29 November 1998 in a Premier League match against Blackburn Rovers as a last-minute substitute for Vegard Heggem.
He made thirteen appearances in his debut season, filling in for injured captain Jamie Redknapp in centre-midfield.
He also occasionally played on the right wing, but he scarcely contributed in the short on-pitch time he received, due to nervousness affecting his play.
Gerrard recalled in a November 2008 interview with The Guardian, “I was out of position and out of my depth.” The Liverpool hierarchy nonetheless remained convinced that he would improve.
Gerrard saw himself as a defensive player primarily, looking to make key tackles rather than push the team forward.
Gerrard became a regular central midfield partner of Jamie Redknapp in 1999-2000 season and scored his first ever senior goal for the Merseyside club in 4-1 victory against Sheffield Wednesday.
In the 2000-01 season Gerrard made 50 starts for Liverpool in all competitions and won a treble bagging FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA cup. He scored 10 goals that season. For his impressive performances he achieved “PFA Young Player of the Year” award.
Stevie G, as called by fans was quickly making his name at Anfield and was named club captain in October 2003 replacing Sami Hyypia.
After a trophyless campaign in 2003-04, Gerrard was linked with a move to Chelsea but ultimately he did not join the Blues and Spanish boss Rafael Benitez was appointed as the manager after his great spell at Valencia.
2004-05 season was a landmark season for Steven as well as for Liverpool as they were crowned European champions after a long 21 year wait. Gerrard was the key to success and showed why he was rated among the best players in the world then.
Gerrard scored a long range screamer against Olympiacos in the last match of the group stage and Liverpool needed a goal to qualify for knockout stage as the commentator famously said, “Champions League, knockout stage, here we come”.
Liverpool managed to qualify for the knockout stage and made their way to the final against mighty AC Milan where they found themselves losing after 45 minutes with a mammoth 3-0 scoreline.
Liverpool fans as well as the whole football world thought that comeback from this situation was not possible but Gerrard did not think so. He scored with a fine header at the 54th minute and asked all the fans to cheer for the Reds with his gesture and we saw arguably the greatest comeback in football history as Smicer and Xabi Alonso scored at 56th and 60th minutes.
Liverpool went on to win the match on penalties and clinch the UEFA Champions League for the fifth time and Steven Gerrard was the main architect for this huge achievement.
Gerrard was named as the “UEFA Club Footballer of the Year” and also won “Balon d’or Bronze” award after his superb showing in the season.
Gerrard scored 23 goals in 53 appearances in 2005–06, and in April became the first Liverpool player since John Barnes in 1988 to be voted the PFA Player of the Year.
He scored twice in the 2006 FA Cup Final against West Ham United, including a 35-yard equaliser that sent the match into extra time, and Liverpool won their second consecutive major trophy on penalties. The goals made him the only player to have scored in the FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Cup and Champions League finals.
Gerrard again made it to the final of Champions League with Liverpool in 2007 but lost to AC Milan.
Gerrard’s only thing unachieved with Liverpool is not winning the Premier League but his contributions cannot be overlooked.
He appeared for his boyhood club for a total of 708 times and scored 186 goals.
Gerarrd is regarded as a complete midfielder who had played as defensive midfielder, box to box midfielder, attacking midfielder, secondary striker, right winger and even as a right back.
He also has 114 International caps to his name and scored 21 goals. He is the third most capped player for the Three Lions behind Peter Shilton and David Beckham.
The Liverpool legend left his boyhood club after his contract expiry. Gerrard revealed his decision to quit Liverpool after enjoying his time at Anfield for over 17 years.
At 35, he realized that he had very little to offer to an evolving Liverpool side which is signing younger players every season to claw their way back at the top.
His boots are very tough to fill and the inexperience of Liverpool players may be exploited more in this season but someone has to step up.
It will be a blessing in disguise if Hendersons or Coutinhos or someone else can step up and lead the squad by an example.
Gerrard was that type of captain who leaded his team by an example and helped others to step up at the big stage and it will be indeed very tough for Liverpool to feature without the player who was voted number one in a poll called “100 Players who Shook the Kop”