One of football’s modern legends, Steven Gerrard, decided to hang up his boots this week after his spell at LA Galaxy in the MLS. Every Liverpool fan still wants him back in the sort of fairytale return to Anfield that can only be dreamt of, but the sad reality is that that just wouldn’t be possible in Klopp’s gegenpressing game.
Though some late screamers from the bench in a player-assistant manager role would have been the icing on the cake for a true Liverpool legend, guess there’s only one thing left to say to Steven Gerrard now, “You’ll Never Walk Alone!”
We take a look at Super Stevie’s six greatest Liverpool moments.
#6 Magic at Merseyside
Trending
World football is filled with local rivalries and there are few rivalries in English football that can match or top the Merseyside derby. Dividing colleagues, friends and even family members, England comes to a standstill whenever Liverpool take on Everton.
One would be hard pressed to find a footballer (dead or alive) who lives the Merseyside derby more than Steven Gerrard.
One fine day in March of 2012, the captain of Liverpool took the field to play his 400th match for the club. The scene of battle was Anfield and the opponents were arch rivals Everton. Steven Gerrard rose to the occasion like none other completing his hat trick in stoppage time as Liverpool ran out convincing 3-0 victors.
It was the first hat-trick in the Merseyside derby since 1979 and Liverpool’s biggest victory over Everton in 30 years! For Steven Gerrard though, it was all just about the club!
#5 That First Kiss
The 2008-09 Premier League season will forever remain ingrained in the memory of both Liverpool and Manchester United fans. For the Reds, it was another case of so near yet so far while for the Red Devils, it was all about finally drawing level with Liverpool on 18 championship wins. It is thus fitting that there was no match more dramatic in the league than when these two fierce rivals squared up at Old Trafford during the business end of the competition.
Liverpool on that occasion shred Manchester United to pieces, emerging victorious with a 4-1 scoreline. While that result lives on in memory for obvious reasons, the most endearing image from the encounter is sure to be Steven Gerrard’s famous “kissing the camera” celebration in front of the jubilant travelling Liverpool fans following his penalty strike!
The celebration has since become the stuff of legends and was later copied by Wayne Rooney in a future Liverpool-Manchester United clash. Just a little friendly banter for ya! Stevie G himself did it one more time, exactly five years later as Liverpool once again decimated United at Old Trafford, this time emerging 3-0 victors. Now that he’s announced his retirement, how we wish there could have been many more of such Stevie moments!
#4 ‘We Go Again’ battle cry
When Phillipe Coutinho unleashed that absolute gem of a curler fifteen minutes from time, the writing was on the wall. In spite of an unfortunate red to Jordan Henderson, Liverpool managed to hold on to a one-goal lead to defeat Manchester City 3-2 at Anfield. With Liverpool at the top of the table and only a handful of matches to go, it really did seem that the 2013-14 season was going to be Liverpool’s ultimate vindication!
Just after the victory, Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard huddled up his players and the emotionally charged minute long pep talk quickly became the talk of the footballing world. It could be clearly seen how much winning the trophy meant to this homegrown hero.
Fate is cruel though and sadly it was not to be for Gerrard. Liverpool lost out to Manchester City by the slimmest of margins, finally proving to be nothing but a great advertisement for the English Premier League.
Gerrard’s dedication to Liverpool and his influence on the players could, however, be felt all over and it took all of one minute’s talk from the legend.
#3 The Olympiakos Goal
The 2005 Champions League campaign of Liverpool has been much romanticised and discussed a decade later. A discussion about Steven Gerrard has to include the 2005 UCL campaign.
It all really started for Liverpool in the group stages against Olympiakos. It was December of 2004 and Liverpool were on the brink of exiting the Champions League. All they needed was one goal but time was running out. And then in the 86th minute, as has been the norm over the last many years, up rose Steven Gerrard as he unleashed a fiery half volley straight past the goalkeeper and into the right corner of the Olympiakos goal.
As the Olympiakos players stood shocked, the Kop rocked and as for Gerrard, he later admitted that after the goal, he secretly felt that it was the start of something special. Five months later Liverpool lifted the Champions League-something special? Yes!
#2 FA Cup with Steven Gerrard
To be known simply as the ‘Gerrard final’ forever more, the 2006 FA Cup final where Liverpool played West Ham is arguably the one game which cemented Gerrard’s legendary status. Trailing 2-0 to West Ham, Gerrard first set up Djibril Cisse for Liverpool’s opener and then scored in the 54th minute to draw the two sides level.
Paul Konchesky followed Gerrard’s strike ten minutes later to put West Ham in the lead once again and till the 91st minute, all seemed lost for Liverpool until one man stepped up yet again! Collecting the ball form around 35 yards out, Steven Gerrard let one fly. The football flew past the West Ham keeper and bulged out the top left corner of the net. Extra Time!
Gerrard scored yet again in the penalty shootout thirty minutes later to send Liverpool fans into utter delirium. Perhaps one of the greatest big match individual displays ever witnessed in the history of English football – Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard at Wembley!
#1 One night in Istanbul
Something that every Liverpool fan has certainly obsessed about and the kind of performance every football fan fantasises their team would turn in someday! It was nothing short of a miracle, what happened that night in Istanbul. It showed the power of hope, the power of belief and above all, what one man’s influence can do to a team.
The players walked off at half-time with Liverpool trailing 3-0 to AC Milan in the Champions League final. The Reds were expected to just throw in the towel in the second half, instead, what transpired right after the break is perhaps the maddest eight minutes ever witnessed in a football match.
It all started when Gerrard rose highest to head in a John Arne Riise cross. Vladimir Smicer followed it up with a superb strike and then a penalty from Xabi Alonso. In the blink of an eye, Liverpool was level!
With Jerzy Dudek then suddenly transforming into an impenetrable human wall, the match went into penalties.
The rest, as they say, is history. Quite simply, the greatest night for Steven Gerrard and his boyhood love, Liverpool Football Club.
