Steven Gerrard pours his heart out in emotional letter to Liverpool fans

Steven Gerrard says it was a privilege to represent the club for so long

Steven Gerrard wrote an emotional open letter to the Liverpool fans as he gets ready to depart Anfield after a career spanning 710 appearances and 17 years. The 34-year-old midfielder says in the letter that he is only going away for a while and that his association with the Merseyside club is not over yet.

The Kop legend pours out his heart in this moving letter written for the Liverpool Echo, where he talks about the ‘glorious highs and some crushing lows’ which he experienced during his career and how the fans always stood by him.

Gerrard’s letter to Liverpool fans

Saying goodbye hasn’t been easy. Liverpool Football Club has been such a massive part of my life since I was eight years old and I know how much I’m going to miss it. It’s been an emotional time for my family and I with my final game at Anfield against Crystal Palace and then my last appearance away to Stoke City.

But I’ve been blown away by the send-off I’ve been given by the supporters and I’d like to thank every one of you. It’s been very humbling and it’s something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.

It’s been an absolute privilege to represent this football club for so long. Of course, the pinnacle of my career arrived in Istanbul 10 years ago. That was the best night of my life. When I lifted the European Cup, there was no prouder man on the planet.

The supporters played such a big part in helping to inspire that famous comeback against AC Milan. I’ll never forget how they helped to lift our chins off the floor after that nightmare first half.

People have often asked me about the pressure on my shoulders to deliver for Liverpool, but I’ve never seen that as a burden. There’s been huge responsibility on me, but I’ve always loved and embraced that.

It’s been a massive honour to be captain of this club for so long. I’ve always given my best and tried to lead by example. All I ever wanted to do was play for Liverpool. I've been a supporter all my life and that will continue.

I’ve loved every minute of playing for the best supporters in the world. I’ve been very fortunate to play alongside some incredible players and for managers who have all helped me to improve and develop.

I’m proud of what I’ve given back – the sacrifices, the dedication and the loyalty over the years. But more than anything I feel incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to play in front of these fans for so long.

Gerrard shares thanks the fans for the memories he has shared with them

I want to keep playing every week in the final few years of my career and I’m looking forward to embarking on a new challenge with Los Angeles Galaxy in the MLS. I’ll be away for the next couple of years, but this isn’t the end of my long association with Liverpool Football Club

I hope to get the opportunity to come back and serve the club again one day. I feel that I can make a contribution in some role in the future.

When I was a kid, kicking a ball around in Ironside Road in Huyton, all I ever wanted to do was play for Liverpool. I dreamed of pulling that shirt on just once. I never thought I’d get close to achieving that so to be able to look back on a first-team career of 710 appearances spanning 17 years. I am immensely proud.

I have loved every minute of playing for the best supporters in the world. It’s been an amazing journey. There have been some glorious highs and some crushing lows, but throughout you have given me fantastic support and I’ll never forget that.

The highs have been all the sweeter because they have been achieved with my boyhood club. We have shared those special moments together. I hope to get the opportunity to come back and serve the club again one day.

I feel that I can make a contribution in some role in the future. But today is all about looking back and saying thank you to the fans for the magnificent support you have given me over the past two decades. You have helped me to fulfil my dreams over and over again and given me memories I wouldn’t swap for anything.

Thank you.