Liverpool and England legend Steven Gerrard has revealed his childhood football heroes, naming John Barnes alongside another England star.
For a generation of Liverpool supporters, Steven Gerrard is the ultimate symbol of loyalty, passion and talent.
A boyhood Red who went on to captain his beloved club for 12 years, Gerrard’s journey from the streets of Huyton to Anfield legend has inspired millions. Yet even the icons of the game once had heroes of their own.
During a quickfire Q&A with TNT Sports, Gerrard was asked to name the players he idolised as a youngster and revealed two figures who shaped his love for football.
“John Barnes and Paul Gascoigne”
Growing up in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, Gerrard was captivated by the magic of John Barnes. For Liverpool fans of that era, Barnes was footballing poetry in motion.
Signed from Watford in 1987, the Jamaica-born winger lit up Anfield with dazzling dribbles, a thunderous left foot, and a calmness in the final third that made him virtually unstoppable.
Barnes scored 108 goals in 407 appearances for the Reds, winning two league titles, two FA Cups and a League Cup during his decade at the club. His influence extended far beyond the pitch, inspiring a new generation of young footballers — Gerrard included — with his skill, intelligence, and elegance.
Alongside Barnes, Gerrard’s other boyhood idol was Paul Gascoigne — the mercurial midfielder who captured England’s imagination at Italia ’90. Known affectionately as “Gazza,” Gascoigne’s fearless dribbling, creativity and unpredictable genius made him one of the most exciting English players of all time.
Gerrard has previously spoken about his admiration for Gascoigne, both as a player and as a character. Their paths would even cross at Rangers, where Gerrard managed the Scottish giants decades after Gascoigne had dazzled fans in Glasgow.
Gerrard himself went on to become a Liverpool icon, scoring 186 goals in 710 appearances, and famously dragged the Reds to victory in the 2005 Champions League final and 2006 FA Cup final.
While he never lifted the Premier League title, Gerrard’s name remains synonymous with Liverpool and in moments like these, when he reflects on the brilliance of Barnes and Gascoigne, it’s clear just how much of his own style was influenced by the magic of those he once watched as a young fan.
