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Unlike Michael Owen, however, who endeared himself to the fans almost immediately after he had graduated from Liverpool’s School of Excellence (like Gerrard) and had been named BBC Sports Personality of the Year at the age of 18, Gerrard’s first steps in Red were a lot more slippery.
His full début came on the right flank at White Hart Lane where he was to keep an eye on the deadly David Ginola. However, nervousness on that day meant he was on the receiving end of an earful from Paul Ince.
But that awkwardness was soon cast aside as he saw more and more minutes on the field and the baptism of fire that is the Premier League began the metamorphosis of Gerrard from nervous teenager to future world-beater.
By the time his second season began, Gerrard was a regular in midfield, partnering Jamie Redknapp in the centre of the park. By the time 2000 came around, he had made 50 starts in all competitions, and the arrival of silverware that season meant that the Liverpool faithful now had the same opinion of him as the club had when they had first spotted him all those years ago.
Liverpool signaled the start of a new dawn at Anfield with a treble that season. The UEFA Cup, the League Cup and the FA Cup all came to Anfield.
In winning over his doubters, Gerrard set the foundations to bring back the glory years to Anfield and once he was made captain in 2003, there was no looking back. Every time he took to the pitch, he had the unwavering support of the Liverpool faithful and he repaid that support in kind.
“He has become the most influential player in England, bar none. More than Vieira. Not that Vieira lacks anything, but I think that Gerrard does more for his team than Vieira does, and has way more to his game.
“I’ve watched him quite a lot. To me, Gerrard is Keane. Everywhere the ball is, he seems to be there. He’s got that unbelievable engine, desire, determination. Anyone would love to have Gerrard in their team.”
- Sir Alex Ferguson
He has often been called the heartbeat of the Kop and judging by the way he puts in performance after electric performance at Anfield, one would think that the Kop supplies him with a manic energy that helps him turn the tables for Liverpool when they need rescuing.
Gerrard to the rescue, like always
Some of his most famous goals have come when all else has seemed lost for Liverpool. That searing drive against Olympiacos in 2005 when Liverpool needed three to ensure they would go through to the knock out stages, which was only a prelude to a much bigger spectacle by the Reds.
Everybody remembers that most memorable, superbly scintillating of comebacks against AC Milan that year and Gerrard took centre stage in that second half as he scored the first of the three goals that signaled Liverpool’s return and it was his man-of-the-match contribution in the middle of the park that wrote Liverpool into the annals of history.
Not that what transpired at the Ataturk Stadium in the Turkish capital was ordinary in any way, but that game was of memorable significance even in the grander scheme of things. Their 3-2 penalty shootout win was their fifth European Cup triumph, which meant they joined a very select clique of clubs who had the honour of donning a multiple-winner badge whenever they took to the field to face Europe’s elite. It also meant that the trophy they lifted that year would permanently reside at Anfield
Gerrard was later awarded the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year prize for his contributions to Liverpool’s achievements.
“Is he the best in the world? He might not get the attention of Messi and Ronaldo but, yes, I think he just might be. If you don’t have a player like Steven Gerrard, who is the engine room, it can affect the whole team. He has great passing ability, can tackle and scores goals, but most importantly, he gives the players around him confidence and belief. You can’t learn that – players like him are just born with that presence.”
- Zinedine Zidane
It is glittering performances like that which have inducted Gerrard into the Liverpool hall of fame. It was he who opened the scoring in the UEFA Cup final in 2001 (Liverpool beat Alaves 5-4 after extra time), his superb brace against West Ham in the 2006 FA Cup final when it looked like the trophy would be heading to London (Liverpool won 3-1 on penalties), and so many other memorable performances in a Liverpool shirt that make him the player he is today.
Gerrard’s loyalty to Liverpool over the years seldom wavered. The phone did ring several times when he was at Anfield, with Chelsea so famously nearly snapping him up and Real Madrid wanting to add him to their clutch of Galacticos, but there was little doubt as to where his heart truly lay.
For while Gerrard’s happiest memories will surely be at Anfield (he has made 645 appearances for the club), one of his saddest will also be associated with Liverpool Football Club.
