Steven Gerrard's story as Liverpool Captain
By Luke Birch
A legacy unparalleled.
So often as Liverpool fans we look up to managers, Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, and Jurgen Klopp to name a few.
Steven Gerrard broke the mould. Only Sir Kenny Dalglish has a similar pedigree as a former Liverpool player. But they were different players and are different people.
Gerrard encompasses the dream, a Liverpool kid who rose up from nothing to be everything to his local team for over a decade.
Here is his story.
Gerrard's debut and captaincy
At 18, an unassuming Gerrard made his debut for Liverpool as a late substitute in a 2-0 win over Blackburn Rovers.
The truth is after taking a daunting step-up, it took a while for Gerrard to get used to life in the first-team.
But like the people of the city, Gerrard was a grafter, and soon became a pivotal part of manager Gerard Houllier’s period at Anfield.
By the time the 2000/01 season rolled around, Gerrard and his closely shaven scalp were ready to start 50 games in all competitions, as Liverpool won three trophies.
In 2003, Gerrard scored as Liverpool defeated Manchester United 2-0 to win the League Cup.
On 15th October that same year, Gerrard replaced Sami Hyypia as Liverpool captain.
The Olympiakos strike
The road to Istanbul in 2004/05 was an eventful one. Gerrard got it started.
He scored both of the goals as Liverpool defeated Grazer AK in the third qualifying round.
Gerrard wouldn’t score again until the final game of the group stage.
Liverpool needed to win by two clear goals against Olympiakos at Anfield to advance to the knockout stages.
2-1 up with the seconds trickling away, Neil Mellor glanced the ball in Gerrard’s direction, a hail mary.
The ball drifted downwards, bounced on the wet Anfield turf, Gerrard strode, eyeing it up, waited till he had his head over it.
Smack! Laced it, watched it fly past the despairing goalkeeper, guided and explosive into his bottom left-hand corner.
The net moved to catch it, Anfield erupted. Liverpool 3-1 Olympiakos, destiny was waiting.
Gerrard's Istanbul heroics
Fast forward six months, and place yourself in Istanbul, Turkey.
Liverpool’s first Champions League final in 20 years, and many had thought it impossible to happen again.
Rafael Benitez’s team were 3-0 down to an all-conquering AC Milan team at half-time. Milan conquered all, except this one.
Gerrard got the comeback rolling.
In the 54th minute John Arne Riise delivered a deadly ball from the left, Gerrard rose highest, turning the ball into the back of the net.
He conducted the crowd on his way back to the centre circle, pumping his arms, accompanied by the commentary line, “Hello, hello here we go”.
After reviving his team, Gerrard won the penalty that produced the third goal, the skipper being hauled down by Gennaro Gattuso.
A dramatic penalty shootout ensued, Gerrard got his hands on the European Cup, the pinnacle and benchmark of his captaincy ancestors.
With the yellow armband sitting proudly on his arm, Gerrard hoisted the trophy, the boy’s dream had come true.
The Gerrard final
After ultimately deciding to reject an offer from Chelsea that summer, Gerrard won his second major trophy as Captain in 2006 in memorable circumstances.
An enthralling game preceded a remarkable footballing moment, as Gerrard thrashed home Liverpool’s equaliser on the bounce to pull the game back level from 2-0 down.
Future Liverpool flop Paul Konchesky put West Ham back in-front, but as the clock struck 90 Gerrard’s name was called once more.
He was suffering with cramp, but carried on, Gerrard knowing he should be where his team needed him.
The ball is headed away by a West Ham defender, continuing seemingly endlessly upfield.
As it goes on, Gerrard slowly drifts back into the camera frame, down and not out, in completely the wrong state and place, but the right one. Never a more laxly defended strike in Gerrard’s career and 30 yards out, improbable and impossible, greatness.
Steaming every last hour of practice, every last atom of energy went into the strike, surging past crowds, it arrowed true into the bottom corner.
Liverpool went on to win the FA Cup that year on penalties in what was christened ‘The Gerrard Final’.
Gerrard's final years and legacy
Gerrard’s remaining years at Liverpool were a lot of fun, and had a lot of substance, but without much silverware to show for it.
Liverpool looked the business in 2008/09, but ultimately fell short to a seasoned Manchester United team.
Gerrard’s partner in crime Fernando Torres, was swapped for Luis Suarez, and things started to fall into place again.
Amid a wobbly league campaign, 2011-12 reaped the League Cup. Gerrard carried the weight in Liverpool's 2013-14 Premier League title bid, before it eventually became too much for those behind him to bear.
A phasing out by Brendan Rodgers saw ‘Stevie G’ part ways with us to play for LA Galaxy in the MLS, but since that pleasant November night in 1998, the impossible has not quite been the same.
manual