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Steven Gerrard is a true icon of the game, making his Liverpool first team debut in 1998 as an 18-year-old. He went on to make 504 appearances in the Premier League for Liverpool, making him a one-club man in England and scored 120 top-flight goals for the reds. He is without a doubt one of the greatest players ever to play for Liverpool and won countless European and domestic trophies with the reds, including the famous Champions League in 2005. He was regarded as a legendary midfielder and counted amongst the greats such as Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard, Xavi, and Andreas Iniesta. He played for 17 years for his boyhood club and rejected advances from the likes of Chelsea and Real Madrid during his playing days.
That Miraculous Night in Istanbul
Steven Gerrard had spearheaded Liverpool’s push to the Champions League final in Istanbul, overcoming the likes of Chelsea and Juventus along the way. However, the mighty AC Milan stood in their way of glory, featuring the likes of Andrea Pirlo, Paolo Maldini, and Kaka. The game started and Milan took an early lead thanks to Maldini and were already three goals in following a brace from Hernan Crespo. It seemed as if Liverpool would lose out in the final as they were already underdogs.
However, the reds came flying out of the traps after the break and it was Gerrard who inspired the reds as he bulleted home a header past Dida to make it 3-1. After the goal, the rampant reds were all over Milan and soon added a second. Gerrard then won a penalty and Xabi Alonso equalised from the spot to make it 3-3 and take the game to extra time. The score remained level during extra time, which led the two sides to decide the game on penalties. Some heroics from reds keeper Jerzy Dudek ensured that Liverpool lifted the Champions League trophy, defeating the mighty AC Milan and forever etching their name into the history books.
The FA Cup Final Vs. West Ham
A year after they had won the Champions League, Liverpool reached the FA Cup final in 2006 against West Ham and this time it was Liverpool who were the favourites. However, West Ham took a shock lead in the game and were cruising at 2-0 until Gerrard once again stepped up to the plate. He laid on the assist for the first goal and then rifled in an equaliser to make it 2-2 on the day.
However, West Ham soon regained the lead thanks to a freak goal from Paul Konchesky and with time running out, it seemed all over for the reds. However, Liverpool were no quitters and with Gerrard on their side, they never gave up. It was in injury time when a tired Gerrard bulleted home a long-range screamer to make it 3-3 and take the game to extra time and penalties, where the reds once again prevailed. It was another phenomenal performance from Gerrard, and it was dubbed the Gerrard Final.
His First Time Captaining Liverpool
Steven Gerrard was made club captain by manager Gerrard Houllier after five seasons at the club. He had been vice-captain to Sami Hyppia and had been growing into the role. However, the captaincy was thrust upon him by his manager Houllier who claimed that Gerrard had certain leadership qualities. Gerrard was only 23 years old at the time and captained Liverpool for the first time against Olimpija Ljubljana, which turned out to be a routine 3-0 win for the reds in the UEFA cup group stage.
His Hat-Trick Vs. Everton
Steven Gerrard has a long history of scoring some wonderful goals against their arch-rivals Everton, but he took it one step further by scoring a hat-trick against them in the Premier League in what was his 400th appearance for the club. Gerrard started the scoring 11 minutes from halftime and then added a second after the restart. He completed his hat trick in the dying minutes of the game and became the first Liverpool player to score a hat-trick against Everton in a local derby game in nearly 30 years.
Conclusion
Steven Gerrard left Liverpool at the conclusion of the 2015 season. His last game was against Stoke City, which Liverpool lost heavily as they were hammered 6-1, making the game Gerrard and Liverpool’s heaviest defeat in the Premier League.
After his successful professional player career, he could have easily completely stopped from football to just enjoy other fun aspects of life to the full. He could have travelled around the world, enjoying the sunlight at beaches on a daily basis. He could have even picked up a new hobby like fishing and catch big game as if playing the popular casino Big Bass Bonanza slot. Instead, he immediately stepped back into the football world, this time focusing on the management side of the game, remaining on the touchlines.
Gerrard opened his first-team experience by managing one of Scotland’s most prestigious clubs – Rangers Football Club. He guided them to the Scottish Premiership title, which was their first one in ten years. Currently, Steven Gerrard is the manager of Aston Villa and is trying to guide them towards a top ten finish in the Premier League. He will forever remain a Liverpool legend and an icon of the game.
