Liverpool FC's Greatest Players - Steven Gerrard

At the tender age of 9 young Steven Gerrard joined the Liverpool FC youth academy after being spotted by Liverpool scouts playing for his hometown team, Whiston Juniors. He had trials for a few different clubs including Manchester Utd but eventually signed his first professional contract with Liverpool in 1997.

In his first season he made 13 appearances, often looking out of his depth and nervous. It wasn't until the 2000 - 01 season that Gerrard made a real impact, he scored 10 goals and contributed to the team winning the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup. After a trophyless season during 2003 - 04, Gerrard was linked with a move to Chelsea. He finally turned down the £20 million move and decided to stay at Anfield under new coach Rafa Benitez.

Chelsea FC

Benitez built the strong new Liverpool squad that reached the finals of the Champions League in 2005 against AC Milan. Liverpool had a shocking first half and were 3-0 down, only to turn the scoreline around during six minutes of the second half. Gerrard scored one of the goals and was a huge influence throughout the match. Liverpool eventually won the game on penalties and Gerrard won Man Of The Match. Gerrard turned down another move to Chelsea that summer, even though he was offered £100,000 a week.

In 2006 Gerrard became the first Liverpool player since John Barnes to win the PFA Player Of The Year and scored twice in the FA Cup final against West Ham Utd. He made his 300th Premier League appearance for the club in 2008 and scored the opening goal against Blackburn Rovers. in 2009, Gerrrard was named as The Football Writers Association Player Of The Year.

He continues to play for Liverpool and is currently captain of England. Steven Gerrard is a true Liverpool FC legend.

Liverpool FC's Greatest Players - Steven Gerrard

Should Liverpool Sell Steven Gerrard to Chelsea?

Times are looking bleak for Liverpool football club and for Liverpool fans across the globe. While the club's owners seem to show no interest in the club and are only concerned with their own financial gain, Liverpool have won just 3 games in 15 and have already been knocked out of the Champion's League before the knockout stages have even begun. On top of all of this, the club is in tremendous debt and it seems that they may soon have to sell some of their biggest stars (also known as 'assets') if they cannot make their annual interest payment of £20 million (brought about by their £300 million loan that was taken out two years ago).

Many fans fear that Liverpool may soon become the new Leeds United (who finished fourth in the Premier Division less than 10 years ago and are now playing in the third tier of English football) is problems are not sorted out on and off the field, and if the club don't finish in the top 4 league positions this year (thus earning them qualification to the Champion's League).

Chelsea

With news today that Chelsea are preparing to mount a £30 million bid to secure the services of Liverpool's 29 year old captain, should Liverpool sell their influential skipper in January? In my opinion they should either do one of two things; sell Gerrard (but not for £30 - for a figure nearer to £50m) or change their formation so that Gerrard plays as a right wing-back (much like Dani Alves does for Barcelona).

Should Liverpool Sell Steven Gerrard to Chelsea?

Footballer Profile - Steven Gerrard

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.

Footballer Profile - Steven Gerrard

Steven Gerrard - The Working Class Hero

Born and brought up in a middle class family in the Whiston area of Merseyside, Steven Gerrard has gone on to become one of England's finest football players. When Gerrard was nine, he lost his cousin Jon-Paul Gilhooley in the Hillsborough disaster. This loss of a "family member" spurred Gerrard to tackle football in a very sentimental sense and become the footballer he is today. Gerrard ends his autobiography with the words - "I play for Jon-Paul."

While playing for Whiston Juniors, he caught the eye of the Liverpool scouts. He was drafted into the Liverpool youth setup. He made his Liverpool debut on 29 November 1998 when he came on as a last minute substitute for Vegard Heggem. He has not looked back since. Over the next decade, he has played 355 games for Liverpool scoring 76 times. He has won two FA Cups, two League Cups, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup with Liverpool. The only medal that has eluded him is the Barclays Premier League Winners' medal.

Gerrard made his international debut against Ukraine on 31 May 2000. After that, he has gone on to represent England on 77 occasions scoring 16 times. He made a solitary substitute appearance at Euro 2000. He scored his first goal in the famous 5-1 rout of Germany in the 2002 World Cup Qualifying rounds. He went on to captain England during Steve Mclaren's reign as manager. But England suffered back to back losses against Croatia and Russia under his leadership and hence did not make it to Euro 2008. Capello also gave Gerrard a run of games as captain of England, but later settled on John Terry.

At 30, the World Cup in South Africa in six months' time will be Gerrard's final chance to win the sport's biggest trophy. And if he is able to do the same, his name will be etched forever in the annals of English football.

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