Earlier today, legendary English football player, Steven Gerrard announced his retirement from professional football.
Having won over 500 premier league caps and about 400 less for his country, the former Liverpool midfield general thought it wise to draw the curtain on an illustrious career which many believe is one of the finest by any British player till date.
He started out at Liverpool as a youngster and saw out his career at the club, winning numerous trophies for his club, and ending up as the club’s most revered legend.
Here are FOUR solid facts you may need to know about the Liverpool great:
1. Scandal-free career
If there was anything that endeared most people to Gerrard, it had to be the fact that he was not associated with any form of scandal. Unlike some of his other colleagues in the national team who were also captain at one point or the other, Gerrard was not caught cheating with any other woman.
And off the pitch, he was not caught smoking or partying away after his team had lost a game or get involved in baseless and embarrassing fights with teammates.
If anything, he was a role model to everyone who was at the club and he was said to have had maximum respect for the manager’s decisions at times when he was not considered ‘fit’ enough to star in any game.
2. Dedication to the club
Gerrard, like Paolo Maldini and a host of others, can be described as one player who never played for other teams apart from the one they started with.
Aside his move to the US Major League Soccer clubside in 2015, the Whiston-born English player starred for only his boyhood club.
His passion for the club was so much that he often wept bitterly after losing a match to any club. During an interview while still playing for Liverpool, Gerrard had said if he was cut into two, he would bleed Liverpool. Such was his love and dedication to the club during his over 500 appearances for the Reds.
3. Failure to win a Premier League title
This is about the only reason Gerrard is not rated highly by some sports fans and observers. He probably would have traded a second FA Cup win for the elusive title as he was so close to winning it two seasons ago, only to end up playing a vital role in ensuring they were booted out of reckoning.
Gerrard was more of a master with European football, emerging as the club’s all-time top scorer (in Europe) with 41 goals and winning a couple of European cups with Liverpool, but he could not – surprisingly – replicate this on the local front and will be regretting this.
Aside that, Gerrard was in the Premier League team of the season for six consecutive seasons, winning it for eight times overall.
4. Loyalty
Those who were familiar with the midfield enforcer argued that he was the most loyal invidividual they had seen and his hair cut proved that.
In a series of picture put side by side, Gerrard’s haircut remained the same for many years, and as at the last time he was seen kicking a ball in the EPL, he still looked the way he was when he started out as a teenager for the club.
This is also applicable to the player, who has not been seen or known with any other lady apart from his partner of nine years.
