After enduring the indignity of giving newly crowned Premier League champions Chelsea a guard of honour at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, Liverpool fans may not be too keen on the tradition at the moment, but there’s little doubt that they’ll all rise as one when long serving captain Steven Gerrard walks down the Anfield tunnel for the last time this weekend.
The 34-year old, who will be playing his final game at Anfield on Saturday ahead of a summer move to Major League Soccer side Los Angeles Galaxy, will be honoured by both the visiting Crystal Palace players as well as his team-mates. A mural on the Kop to honour his seventeen years of service is also in the works with one of the worlds most famous football stands looking to send one of their own off in style.
“We have the last home game of the season coming up against Palace and Steven’s last game at Anfield. We want to ensure he goes out with a win and we want to give the fans three points,” Reds ‘keeper Simon Mignolet told the Liverpool ECHO. “Stevie has done in the past two games what he’s been doing here throughout his career – scoring very important goals at important moments. We have learned a lot this season, especially me, and we’ll take that into next season.”
With their aspirations of qualifying for next seasons Champions League now well and truly over, the focus will now be solely on Anfield’s favorite son — much to the behest of the veteran midfielder. A similar honour was afforded to Jamie Carragher when he hung-up his boots two years ago, but unlike the defender, Gerrard will still have one match left to play with Liverpool set to finish the campaign off with a trip to Stoke City the following weekend.
