Gerrard: I would leave Anfield

[KopOut]

Steven.

Hahaha classic. Was just texting my bro prior to that post. We were lamenting Gerrard's announcement. My bro's name is Stephen.

DOH.

[Jennings]

You know what I think is ace about Stevie? I mean obviously his passing, goals, tackles...we'll all have a favourite... but one thing that impresses me, and it is a really simple thing...it is the way he treats the mascots on match day.

 

You might say "That's easy! What's the fuss?".Well I have seen some skippers pretty much ignore the kids and get themselves in the zone. And who would criticise, with all the pressure on them. They have to get themselves prepared. So they do pretty much the minimum.

 

Stevie is always attentive. Knocking the ball to them in the warmup. Making sure they are in the photey and making sure they know the way off the pitch back to their folks. He appreciates that it is their big day; he appreciates that some are excited and some are nervous. He just gets it. 

[Captain]

OPINION

BY KENNY DALGLISH

 

Kenny Dalglish on Steven Gerrard: I feel lucky to have seen him play for Liverpool

 

02 January 2015 03:27 PM Kenny Dalglish

 

"The Reds are lucky to have had a player like him and a man like him for so long", writes King Kenny

 

When I think about Steven Gerrard’s career at Liverpool, I am filled with gratitude.

 

I don’t want to single out one goal or one performance. I just want to say I feel lucky that he was a Liverpool player and that I saw him play.

 

And I’d like to explode a myth. I’d like to tell you what I think of the idea that Steven is somehow a lesser player because he never won a league title.

 

Let me tell you a couple of things about the minds of footballers like Steven and the things that drive them.

 

Everybody who has ever played football at the top level has failed to win everything they wanted to win. Me? Well we could have won three Doubles at Liverpool in my time as a player. But we didn’t.

 

There’s always something you feel you have missed out on. There’s always something that people can throw at you. You know what that’s called? It’s called sport.

 

It’s not perfect. There are going to be disappointments. They are what make the good times so worthwhile.

 

Steven has led Liverpool for a long time and he has led them at a time when they have been less successful than they were in the 1970s and 1980s.

 

That pursuit of former glories has been his challenge and he has accepted that challenge with dignity and honesty and unswerving commitment.

 

Season after season, he has lifted those around him and made them feel fortunate that they are playing alongside him.

 

In time, you come to understand that the most important thing is the trophies you have won. You are defined by them, not by the trophies you didn’t win. And Steven won the Champions League.

 

He lifted his team to the most prestigious title in the game. He led the club in that astonishing victory in Istanbul in 2005.

 

At that stadium on the outskirts of the city, he wrote his name even larger in the history of his club.

 

So I hope that in the next six months, the last six months of his career in Liverpool, people take the chance to come and say thank you to him.

 

He has made a massive contribution to the club for a long time and that is why he is revered on Merseyside and beyond. Liverpool are lucky to have had a player like him and a man like him for so long.

 

Because when I think of Steven at Liverpool, it will be as much for what he did for the club off the pitch as well on it.

 

Certainly, it will be for the way he has pinged those majestic, destructive passes all around the pitch. It will be for the goals he scored, too, because he perfected a knack of grabbing some awfully important ones.

 

And it will be for the way he always found an extra gear when he surged past an opponent and left him trailing.

 

But in my second spell in charge of the club I also saw the way he operated as a captain. The man was class personified.

 

Steven has got the personality and the brains to know what is right and wrong in the game.

 

Sometimes, players at a football club, particularly ones who are not being picked regularly, need somebody to remind them of that.

 

Steven was always a strong captain like that. His teammates trusted him so they felt confident talking to him if they had grievances.

 

Every dressing room needs that. Every dressing room needs a leader and Steven, and Jamie Carragher, made sure that our dressing room was a strong dressing room.

 

Is he the greatest player Liverpool have ever had? I don’t like those questions. I think it’s pointless to compare players from different eras.

 

When Billy Liddell was in his pomp after the Second World War, everybody said he was the greatest. They called Liverpool ‘Liddellpool’ in his honour. Everyone has their favourites and Steven has been a hero to this generation.

 

Liverpool supporters will be disappointed to be losing him but he has given so much to the club that we have to respect his wishes. He wants to go and have a look at somewhere else and why shouldn’t he?

 

I was a Glasgow boy who wanted to go and try something different. I was only 26 when I came south. Steven has stayed with his hometown club until the age of 34.

 

He has said that this was the most difficult decision he has ever made. For probably the first time, he has thought about himself before Liverpool Football Club.

 

Good luck to him after everything he has done for Liverpool. Life is not a rehearsal. You only get one go at it and Steven wants to try something new.

 

The door will always be open for him at Liverpool because he will leave in the summer with the gratitude of everyone at the club.

 

This is not an epitaph and this isn’t goodbye. This is only adios.

 

Fantastically well written. Gave me goosebumps reading it.

[ratcatcher]

You know what I think is ace about Stevie? I mean obviously his passing, goals, tackles...we'll all have a favourite... but one thing that impresses me, and it is a really simple thing...it is the way he treats the mascots on match day.

 

You might say "That's easy! What's the fuss?".Well I have seen some skippers pretty much ignore the kids and get themselves in the zone. And who would criticise, with all the pressure on them. They have to get themselves prepared. So they do pretty much the minimum.

 

Stevie is always attentive. Knocking the ball to them in the warmup. Making sure they are in the photey and making sure they know the way off the pitch back to their folks. He appreciates that it is their big day; he appreciates that some are excited and some are nervous. He just gets it. 

 

Mate of mine has a young lad who was fortunate to be selected as a walk out mascot for an England game at wembley during a previous WC qualifiers.

 

His lad had the pleasure of being the mascot for frank lampard. Obviously the next bit is hearsay but my mate says his lad was excited about this seeing as lampard was still a heavyweight in the chelsea team. But, in the tunnel waiting to come out, all the mascots are lined up and wait for the players to come out the dressingroom.

 

lampard comes out and says squat to the lad and is messing with his kit while the other players are saying 'hello' to their mascot. Lampard totally blanks the kid until they get the signal to walk out when lampard grabs the kid's hand and just say 'come on.'  The only other thing lampard is reputed to have said is 'stand still in front of me' when they line up for the anthems.

 

Pretty poor in my opinion that.

[Nightcat]

mark the time and date I said this.

 

Don't be too shocked if Steven Gerrard ends up at Juventus, Bayern Munich, PSG, or Chelsea.

[Captain]

Chelsea?

 

No. Fucking. Chance.

[ZonkoVille77]

mark the time and date I said this.

 

Don't be too shocked if Steven Gerrard ends up at Juventus, Bayern Munich, PSG, or Chelsea.

Besides Chelsea, I wouldn't begrudge him going to those other clubs. He owes LFC fuck all.

 

The bitterness towards him from some so called fans is bordering on criminal.

[Baltar]

The best player I have seen at Liverpool. He's been like a superhero for the team, it's sad he's not retiring at Liverpool. At his peak there was nobody better in the world and we won't see a player like that playing for us for a long, long time. A scouser, a boyhood Red that can do it all as a footballer. What a treasure he's been for us, will be strange to not see him in the red shirt next season.

[Nightcat]

Besides Chelsea, I wouldn't begrudge him going to those other clubs. He owes LFC fuck all.

 

The bitterness towards him from some so called fans is bordering on criminal.

 

You are probably confusing me with someone else. 

 

I am potentally the biggest Steven Gerrard superfan. I would marry him and I don't mind seeing him playing for another Premier League club except Man UTD. 

 

What I am saying is that FSG are clueless bastards for letting him go and that he is far from finished. People take is as a fact that he will be going to the U.S. mickey mouse league. 

 

Not all European clubs are owned by moneyballs dickheads. Juve have a very successful record/history of capitalising on the experience of players like Del Piero, Nedved, Pirlo et al. PSG would definitely benefit from an experienced at the European level leader and Mourinho as well as Guardiolla both appreciate the experience and versatility of players like Gerrard. Just because the Portuguese rat said last season that he would not be after Gerrard, that doesn't mean he will do it. 

 

Gerrard will be playing in Europe.

[bouncebrigade]

What really amazes me are the tributes from the players who only played with Stevie as bit part players for a few years. He is genuinely respected and loved across the board.

 

I am very sad that he won't be finishing his career with us.

 

"To feel like the proudest footballer in the world you can either win the most important trophies or you can play with Stevie."

 

Alvaro Arbeloa

[Paco]

Gerard's wife dosen't look the sort who'd like to learn a foreign language in fairness.

american will be difficult enough

[bouncebrigade]

https://mobile.twitter.com/XabiAlonso/status/551001942626160643

[Section_31]

If he goes to LA it's got ITV2 fly on the wall written all over it, and I tell you what, I'd fuckin watch it.

[Red Banjo]

Heard Micky Quinn on the radio earlier, sounding heartbroken. He said the following -

 

"When Carra left, Liverpool lost its heartbeat, now Gerrard is leaving its losing its soul"

 

Difficult to argue.

 

Gutted.

[stringvest]

https://mobile.twitter.com/XabiAlonso/status/551001942626160643

 

I saw this earlier, but I've now had a couple of glasses of wine and this has got me watery eyed.

[magicrat]

I am sure he will be as good as his word and won't line up against Liverpool so all this bollocks about him going to Chelsea or City is shite.

Some people with short memories should be ashamed they way they have bad mouthed the greatest player imo to ever wear the shirt. He knows his form has dipped this year and has called time . Kenny;s words sum it all up and I wouldn't even try to improve on that piece . Just add my thanks for all the fantastic memories and for his loyalty despite being badly served by owners , managers and  the utter dross he has had to call team-mates throughout his career,

[Adebisi]

He should retire from the soccerball game and go into the sitcom game..

You've seen them attempt to play in the same midfield before and boyhowdy we're going to see it again, but now the real challenge begins! That's right, this summer it's the story of two men, one house and whole load of arguments. 
How will Steven 'Stevie' Gerrard and Frank 'Lamps' Lampard cope living in the same house?! Find out on Fox, Fridays at 11. 

In the first episode confusion STRIKES as Steven Gerrard fails to take a message intended for Frank!.. 
'I've always known him as Lamps so when the person on the phone asked for Frank I got confused' 


 

[s(k)aturation]

Like I said earlier, it's difficult to understand why some people follow a football team. For me, the clubs association and identification with the city and its people is the strongest link. Having pride in one of your homegrown players becoming one of the very best players on the world and representing your club with distinction is not mawkish sentimentality; it's the essence of why most sane Liverpudlians identify with the club.

 

There's nothing better than seeing local lads coming through the ranks and doing well.

 

I was born 10,000 miles from Liverpool and, for 40 years now, I've been fiercely proud (perhaps even mawkishly) of local men like Callaghan, Smith, Thompson, Fairclough, Case and, top of the pile just, Gerrard.

 

I've always considered myself a part of their global village.

[Jhinge Machha]

I am sure he will be as good as his word and won't line up against Liverpool so all this bollocks about him going to Chelsea or City is shite.

Some people with short memories should be ashamed they way they have bad mouthed the greatest player imo to ever wear the shirt. He knows his form has dipped this year and has called time . Kenny;s words sum it all up and I wouldn't even try to improve on that piece . Just add my thanks for all the fantastic memories and for his loyalty despite being badly served by owners , managers and  the utter dross he has had to call team-mates throughout his career,

like that cunt Funeeee i remember him calling stevie a cunt .

[KevieG]

Its sad that he's going even if its the right time to go. 

 

Obviously he has a very long highlights reel but what summed him up I though was him sticking that freekick against Basle a few weeks back. He wasn't even playing well, we were going out, and as soon as we got that free I was 100% sure he would put it away. He had to score it and he did. 

 

He seemed to be able to summon up the goods when they were needed. All those crucial pressure penalties last year as well. Absolute balls of steel to go with all his talent.

 

Such a shame that he has been getting so much grief from some of our fans when his body simply cannot carry the team like he has done for most of his career.

[ratcatcher]

You are probably confusing me with someone else. 

 

I am potentally the biggest Steven Gerrard superfan. I would marry him and I don't mind seeing him playing for another Premier League club except Man UTD. 

 

What I am saying is that FSG are clueless bastards for letting him go and that he is far from finished. People take is as a fact that he will be going to the U.S. mickey mouse league. 

 

Not all European clubs are owned by moneyballs dickheads. Juve have a very successful record/history of capitalising on the experience of players like Del Piero, Nedved, Pirlo et al. PSG would definitely benefit from an experienced at the European level leader and Mourinho as well as Guardiolla both appreciate the experience and versatility of players like Gerrard. Just because the Portuguese rat said last season that he would not be after Gerrard, that doesn't mean he will do it. 

 

Gerrard will be playing in Europe.

 

"Portugese rat." I like that. Repped.

[magicrat]

like that cunt Funeeee i remember him calling stevie a cunt .

Indeed. No problem with objective criticism of any player but if Gerrard hasn't earned every Liverpool supporters respect Christ knows what he needs to do.

[Pureblood]

In his pomp his long range shooting was as accurate as mine on Modern Warfare 2. 

 

Pomp.

[Pureblood]

TK's Rating

 

Steven Gerrard - 10.  Became the heartbeat of the team for over a decade and the natural choice as captain.  Won everything going apart from the league, but gave it a real good go.  Scored some proper belters.  All round game improved as his career went on.  The mark of a true great is that they never stop learning.  Stevie probably knows everything that's worth knowing about the beautiful game.   

[eeyore]

Am I missing something here?

 

Where are all the people disrespecting and having bitterness towards gerrard?

 

Isn't everyone just pissed off with Rodgers for not using him properly?