#3 Steven Gerrard - Liverpool
Liverpool had won the Champions League in 2005 and Steven Gerrard had played a crucial role in their success by scoring and creating goals.
However, when Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea came calling at the end of the 2005 season, the Liverpool born and bred player was all set to leave his beloved club, only for him to reject the move, which would make Liverpool fans admire and adore him more.
Life moved on and so did Gerrard as he established himself as one of the best players in the league of all times, but the interest from clubs did not cease to exist. Mourinho tried to lure the player time and again during his managerial tenures at Inter Milan and Real Madrid.
However, Gerrard, refused to make a move, irrespective of hefty offers coming his way and stayed at Anfield.
While the former Reds captain might have won a number of trophies, the coveted Premier League trophy eluded him. However, it did not deter his determination to stay at Liverpool, despite their troubles on and off the pitch and left the club with his reputation and respect sky-high at the expiry of his contract in 2015.
Jose Mourinho is one of the biggest and most high-profile fans of the Luyton-born player and had this to say with regards to the midfield general last year, “He's done an amazing career with his people. He refused to play in other big clubs, other big leagues to play only for Liverpool and this is a feeling that stays together. Who knows I play against Steven as a Liverpool manager someday."
