Maybe, for you anyway, Steven Gerrard isn’t the greatest player ever to pull on the famous red shirt, but even in your obviously skewed list, he can only be a rung or, if you’re really stretching, two down the ladder. There’s no denying that he’s really just that good.
With the 34-year old announcing earlier in the day that he’ll be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season, an avalanche of well deserved plaudits have been steadily rumbling down for the Merseyside hero, and along with them come the inevitable question of what comes next for the Reds, who now have the unenviable task of replacing their omnipresent skipper with a player that — let’s face it — even if on par with Gerrard at his peak, will never get the love and adoration from the Kop that was reserved for the man in the Number 8 shirt.
“This has been the toughest decision of my life and one which both me and my family have agonised over for a good deal of time. I am making the announcement now so that the manager and the team are not distracted by stories or speculation about my future” read a portion of the captain’s statement, released earlier today on the official website. “Liverpool Football Club has been such a huge part of all our lives for so long and saying goodbye is going to be difficult, but I feel it’s something that’s in the best interests of all involved, including my family and the club itself.”
With the rest of the season still ahead of him, this isn’t the time for eulogies — not that the genius that is Gerrard could be summed up in even a compendium of articles. Recounting the triumphs of Istanbul, the 2006 FA Cup final and the treble winning season are far too easy and fail to tell the whole story. Sure, he was a player for the big game, but he was also one for the proverbial “cold, wet night in Stoke”.
There’s no flash about the captain. He wasn’t great in the same vein that Manchester United legend Ruud van Nistleroy was; you wouldn’t catch Gerrard standing around for 87-minutes contributing nothing after he scored a goal. Comparisons to Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard may be in abundance, but the Liverpool didn’t find himself surrounded by great players both on the pitch and in reserve for large swathes of his career — he created miracles in spite of those around him, while at the same time dragging those same players up a peg or two whether they wanted to go there or not.
That’s just who he is and who he’ll continue to be.
This will really start to set in when he announces who he’s going to be playing for next year in a few weeks time, but for now, focus needs to be exactly where the captain wants it — on the team moving forward. It’s not over quite yet; don’t let the numerous former players, managers and pundits posting sentimental pictures of him on social media and discussing his career fool you. There’s still time to bask in the glow of Steven Gerrard. The clock is ticking, but this sun isn’t down quite yet.
–Steven
