Certainly there will be many loyal Koppites who could make a fairly convincing case in favour of Steven Gerrard being Liverpool's finest ever midfield player
After all, few Liverpool players of any generation can have been such a vital part of the team as the current captain. Not many have an FA Cup Final named after them - Stanley Matthews, Bert Trautmann, a white horse called Billy - and Steven Gerrard will probably join that list. Few other footballers can single-handedly change matches the way Gerrard does and, in one of the best Cup Finals of the modern era, he did just that in 2006 against West Ham. With Liverpool two goals adrift, first of all Gerrard picked out Cisse with an immaculate long diagonal pass for their first goal and then he volleyed home a Peter Crouch knockdown to equalise. More was to come though for, with Liverpool behind again, and the crowd waiting for the final whistle, Gerrard hit an amazing shot from 37 yards. Liverpool won the match on penalties; Gerrard, of course, scored one of them.
Chelsea FC
That wasn't, of course, the first occasion that 'Stevie G' had turned a cup final on its head. Previously, in the Champions League final against Milan in 2005, known to Liverpool fans as 'the miracle of Istanbul', Gerrard had headed home the goal just after the half-time interval that started Liverpool's resurgence after being three goals down at the break. Gerrard is now the only player to have scored in an FA Cup, League Cup, Champions League and UEFA Cup final; that's some big game temperament.
Steven Gerrard has played his entire career for Liverpool FC, making his debut as an eighteen year old back in 1998. Becoming a regular two years later, when he also made his first England appearance, he has gone on to win a host of awards. PFA Young Player of the Year in his first full season, as well as PFA Fans' Player of the same season, he's added the PFA Player of the Year, UEFA Club Footballer of the Year and, in season 2008-09, he was voted the Football Writers' Footballer of the Year. Additionally, he has been in the UEFA Team of the Year on three occasions and in the FIFPro World XI twice. Steven Gerrard is also one of the select number of players to have been awarded an MBE by the Queen during his career, in December, 2007.
There has, until recently, been an almost constant debate in the English media about whether it was possible for Steven Gerrard and the Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard to perform effectively together in the England team. With both attack minded midfielders preferring to play central roles, it has sometimes been suggested that they would somehow get in each other's way playing for their country. Thankfully for England's chances of success, Fabio Capello has put this idea into the dustbin of history and made both players integral parts of his World Cup qualifying team and so Gerrard has a great opportunity of adding to his 76 caps and 16 goals for his country. England fans might also like to remember that it was in a particular 5 - 1 win against Germany that the Liverpool player scored his very first international goal; another trade mark 'screamer'.
With is tackling ability, his range of passing, ferocious shooting and totally committed and enthusiastic attitude on the pitch, Steven Gerrard is undoubtedly one of the leading talents of his generation. To Liverpool fans, he's up there with the very best of the players to have pulled on their famous red kit.
No comments:
Post a Comment