Arguably Merseyside’s best product, a stalwart for England and Liverpool, one of the best midfielders in his generation, the current Rangers boss was the perfect example for young players growing up.
A great leader who was rugged, versatile, disciplined and dynamic, that is Steven Gerrard. He joined the Liverpool academy at the age of nine.
He rose through the ranks over the years and signed a professional contract with the Merseyside Reds at the age of 17. He went on to make his first-team debut a year later.
He made cameo appearances as he filled in for the then injured captain, Jamie Redknapp. It took a while for Gerrard to secure first-team football as he battled with constant back and groin injuries, nervousness and he was played out of position on the right-wing.
After his recovery, he established a partnership with Jamie Redknapp in the midfield which propelled him to win his first major honours with Liverpool in the 2000/01 season.
At the end of the 2000/01 season, he was named the PFA Young Player of the Year. Gerrard made his debut for England during this period and was selected to represent the three lions during EURO 2000 where he made only one appearance as a substitute.
Under the tutelage of great managers such as Gerard Houllier (Liverpool) and Sven-Goran Eriksen, Gerrard improved his game as he began to dictate the pace for his team.
He played with great players like David Beckham, Frank Lampard, Xabi Alonso, Danny Murphy and many more. His understanding of teammates helped him to do better.
Gerrard is well known for his spectacular long-range strikes as well as his precise set pieces. His leadership qualities did not go unnoticed as he was named Liverpool Captain in 2003.
He was named captain of the England national team by Roy Hodgson in 2010 after several trials as vice-captain and captain.
As captain of the Liverpool team, under Rafael Benitez, they clinched the Champions League in 2005 after a remarkable comeback from 3-0 goals down against the Italian side, AC Milan.
Gerrard was the man of the match and he was later crowned the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year. Before the arrival of Benitez, Gerrard considered a move to Chelsea as he was displeased with the club’s progress. His decision to stay turned out to be profitable as the club went on to win the FA Cup in 2006.
Gerrard scored two goals in the final including a screamer which took the match into extra time as Liverpool clinched the trophy through penalties.
Despite his remarkable performances, Liverpool could not clinch titles, most importantly the Premier League trophy. They got to the 2007 Champions League final but lost 2-0 in a rematch to AC Milan.
Their next final appearance was six years later at the new Wembley stadium in the 2012 League Cup final against Cardiff which they won on penalties.
In his later years at Anfield, with Brendan Rodgers at the helm, Liverpool had a remarkable run in the Premier League as they challenged Manchester City for the title.
In a title-deciding match against Chelsea, a slip by Gerrard lead to a goal which eliminated Liverpool from the title race that season.
He went on to play for one more season but took his leave for the MLS as he signed for LA Galaxy. He spent 18 months with the Galaxy and retired after, citing difficulties with long hours of travelling and weather conditions. He retired at the age of 36. A remarkable career for a member of the “golden generation”.
Gerrard won 5 major trophies which include the 2 FA Cups, 3 League Cups, a Champions League, UEFA Cup, and UEFA Super Cup. He won numerous individual honours from the Premier League, English FA, the PFA, BBC, UEFA and FIFA.
He is Liverpool’s top scorer in the Champions League with 30 goals and has the most matches as Liverpool Captain.
Fans of the game as well as pundits, talk about the fact that Gerrard never won a Premier League trophy but that does not cast doubt about the prowess of the midfielder who is highly respected among his peers.
He is without a doubt one of the best footballers in the world to step foot in the English Premier League.