Steven Gerrard

Steven George Gerrard Order of the British Empire (IPA: ) (born 30 May, 1980, Whiston, Merseyside) is an England national football team football (soccer) player. He is the Captain (football) of Liverpool F.C., where he wears the 8 (number) shirt. He is the England national football team vice-captain (football), for which he usually wears the number 4 shirt. An inspirational and versatile midfielder known for his long-range shots and trademark defence-splitting passes, he is usually employed in the commanding Midfielder .22Box-to-box.22 midfielders role, although he has often been deployed as a Midfielder Winger, and occasionally as a Striker Deep-lying forwards. Throughout his career he has won the PFA Young Player of the Year, PFA Player of the Year, European Midfielder of the year, Premier League Most Valuable Player (twice), and UEFA UEFA Club Football Awards Most Valuable Player. He has also been awarded the MBE for his outstanding contributions in both the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final and the 2006 FA Cup Final in which he greatly inspired his team's comeback. He has been nominated for the FIFA Player of the Year twice, in 2005 and 2006.

Early career

Gerrard started out playing for local team Whiston Juniors. He was noticed by Liverpool's scouts aged just 8, and joined the Reds as a schoolboy in 1987. He played relatively few games, with late growth spurts restricting him to only 20 games between the ages of 14 and 16.

Aged 14, Gerrard had trials with various clubs, including Manchester United. In his autobiography he claimed that this was "to pressure Liverpool into giving me a Youth Training Scheme contract." During this time he had an accident involving a rusty garden fork and could have lost his toe.

Gerrard signed his first professional contract with Liverpool on 5 November 1997.

This result dramatically transformed Liverpool's European season and they were victorious in two legged ties against Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus and Chelsea in the knock out stages, with Gerrard a key performer throughout and they went on to reach the Champions League final. However in the meantime, the club continued to struggle domestically finishing only 5th in the league - more than thirty points behind the champions Chelsea. Liverpool did reach the Carling Cup final, but were beaten 3-2 by Chelsea after extra time. Gerrard, unfortunately headed an own goal with Liverpool winning with ten minutes left of normal time. This proved to be one of the lowest points of his Anfield career and once again, media speculation arose that he would be moving on from Liverpool at the end of the season.

The Istanbul Final

Liverpool played AC Milan in the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final in Istanbul. The game started badly. At half-time Liverpool were 3-0 down. It appeared that AC Milan had the trophy won already. Rafa Benitez made a number of tactical changes at half time, the most crucial being the substitution of Dietmar Hamann for Steve Finnan which allowed Gerrard to push further forward. The changes were successful and Liverpool launched one of the most famous comebacks in sporting history.

In a frantic six minute spell in the second half Liverpool scored three times, to level the game at 3-3. Gerrard led the charge heading the first goal in from a John Arne Riise cross in the 54th minute. Taking heart from the goal Gerrard was seen widely gesturing to his team-mates and the supporters that they still had a chance to win. Two minutes later Vladimír Šmicer scored the Reds' second goal. Moments later, Gerrard was brought down in the box by Gennaro Gattuso and won a penalty. Xabi Alonso's spot kick was saved by Nelson de Jesus Silva, the goalkeeper, but he failed to hold the ball and Alonso scored from the rebound to make it 3-3.

There were no further goals in the game. Liverpool went on to win the match via a penalty shootout (football). Steven Gerrard became the second youngest captain ever to lift the European Cup (Didier Deschamps is the youngest). Gerrard didn't take a penalty, he would have taken Liverpool's fifth spot kick if Jerzy Dudek hadn't already saved from Andriy Shevchenko to win the match for Liverpool. He scored 23 goals in 53 games from midfield. In April, Gerrard received his greatest personal accolade to date, when he was voted PFA Player of the Year by his fellow players, becoming the first Liverpool player to win the award since John Barnes (football player) in 1988. His only lowlight being a dreadful back pass which was intercepted by Thierry Henry, which lead to him scoring Arsenal F.C.'s winning goal in a league game at Highbury.

Gerrard capped the season by captaining Liverpool to victory in the FA Cup. He scored twice in the Final against West Ham United F.C., including a dramatic equalizer in stoppage time to send the game into extra-time. The 35-yard strike (past Shaka Hislop) has been called the greatest goal in FA Cup final history, and was named Match of the Day's Goal of the Season. Gerrard also scored in the penalty shoot out.

His goals in the 2006 FA Cup final makes Gerrard the only player to have scored in all four major cup finals that it is possible for an England-based player to take part in. Gerrard's goals were: FA Cup (2006 vs West Ham United), League Cup (2003 vs Manchester United), UEFA Cup (2001 vs Deportivo Alaves), and European Cup (2005 vs AC Milan).

2006-07

Liverpool were unsuccessful domestically. They finished 3rd in the Premier League, 21 points adrift of the champions Manchester United F.C. and on equal points with 4th placed Arsenal F.C.. In the FA Cup, they were defeated by Arsenal at the third-round stage.

In the Football League Cup they were again knocked out by Arsenal F.C. at the quarter-final stage. Gerrard scored in the match but could not prevent his side suffering a 6-3 defeat at home.

However, Liverpool fared better in the Champions League. Defending Champions and favourites FC Barcelona were beaten in the last 16, and joint favourites Chelsea in the semi-final. In the semi, Gerrard provided the assist for Daniel Agger to score Liverpool's equalizer and later scored the third penalty for Liverpool in the shoot-out. Liverpool faced AC Milan for the title on 23 May, in a repeat of the 2005 final, but lost 2-1.

2007-2008

In Liverpool's first game of the new campaign against Aston Villa F.C. at Villa Park, England, Steven Gerrard secured Liverpool three valuable points after scoring a spectacular curling free kick into the top-right corner from 25 yards out at the 87th minute, just two minutes after Gareth Barry had equalized for Villa through a penalty. Gerrard was deservedly awarded the Man of the Match award. The win marks Liverpool's first opening day victory in the Premiership since 2002. In the UEFA Champions League qualifier versus Toulouse F.C], Steven was substituted with a suspected injury and this was later confirmed. His injury was a hairline fracture of the toe but he would play in the game versus Chelsea F.C..

Transfer speculation

Media speculation of Steven Gerrard's future was rife during two consecutive summer transfer windows, with him being most strongly linked with a move to Chelsea F.C. both times. During the summer of 2004, However, by July contract negotiations broke down between Gerrard and the club. Reports stated that Gerrard was about to leave Liverpool, and Chelsea were again reported to have tabled a British record bid of thirty-two million Pound sterling for the player. Throughout the episode, Liverpool remained insistent that they wanted Gerrard to stay, but on 5 July, Gerrard stated publicly that he wished to leave.

To the delight of Liverpool fans, Gerrard changed his mind the next day and pledged his future to the club. He also apologized to the club's supporters and insisted that there were no get-out clauses in the new contract that he would be signing. He also offered to give up his captaincy, but was told by Rafael Benítez that it was not necessary. On the morning of 8 July, Gerrard signed a new four-year deal with Liverpool alongside teammate, Jamie Carragher.

In summer 2006, Gerrard squashed transfer rumours, publicly stating, "I'm not going to get involved in all that kind of speculation again; I'm settled and happy at Liverpool, and I'm not going to go through another summer like the last two. I'll be staying here until the day someone tells me they don't want me."

Prior to the Champions League final in May 2007, Gerrard stated that he was in talks to sign a new contract with Liverpool, saying: "I've never been happier with my football. I'd love nothing better than to get this contract sorted and signed ... We need to keep all of our big players here so it's very important we get the contracts sorted out so they can be here for a long time." It was announced on 4 May 2007, Gerrard would tie up a Pound sterling120,000 pound a week contract to keep him at Liverpool until the end of his career, despite already being contracted until 2009 . This contract would make him the highest paid British player. This was confirmed on 4 June 2007, when Gerrard and team-mate Jamie Carragher signed deals that would tie them to Liverpool until July 2011.

International career

Gerrard was given his international debut by Kevin Keegan against Ukraine national football team on 31 May 2000. It was 18 months and only 44 games since his debut for the Liverpool first team. That summer, he was picked for the England squad for 2000 European Football Championship. In an unsuccessful campaign for England, Gerrard only made one substitute appearance, coming on for Michael Owen after 61 minutes, in the team's sole victory — a 1-0 defeat of Germany national football team.

Gerrard was one of three Liverpool players including Michael Owen(3) and Emile Heskey(1) who scored in the famous Football World Cup qualifying game in September 2001 Germany 1 England 5 (2001), this being his first international goal. England successfully qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2002, but Gerrard was forced to pull out of the squad to undergo surgery on a problematic groin injury. This operation finally put an end to injury problems that had plagued Gerrard since his early teens.

The 2004 European Football Championship saw Gerrard finally get a starting role in a major international tournament. Late in England's first game against France national football team, Gerrard's back-pass was intercepted by Thierry Henry, who was then brought down by David James (footballer), winning France a penalty. Zinedine Zidane duly scored to give France victory 2-1. England went on to win their next two group games to progress in second place, with Gerrard scoring his first goal at a finals competition with the third goal against Switzerland national football team. England lost in the next round to Portugal national football team, with Gerrard being substituted in the 81st minute.

Gerrard suffered an injury scare days before the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, when it was suggested that he might be ruled out of England's first game of the tournament; however, he was deemed fit to make his first ever World Cup appearance, and started in the side that beat Paraguay national football team 1-0. He then went on to score twice in the group stages of the tournament – first netting England's second goal in a 2-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago national football team with a brilliant long-range, curled strike (coincidentally, again past Hislop) in injury time. This victory, in which Gerrard's Liverpool team-mate Peter Crouch also scored, ensured England's progress to the second round of the tournament with a game to spare. Gerrard was then initially rested for the final group game against Sweden national football team, as a precaution against picking up a second Yellow card that would have ruled him out of the second round match (having already received one against Paraguay). He came off the bench to score a powerfully headed goal in the 85th minute, giving England the lead in a game that finished 2-2. Gerrard was one of three England players to see their penalty saved by Ricardo Pereira in the quarter-final penalty shoot-out which was won by Portugal. Gerrard finished the tournament as England's top goalscorer with two goals.

Gerrard was regarded by both the footballing media and bookmakers to be one of the prime candidates for the England captaincy after David Beckham resigned the post. William Hill (bookmaker) gave odds of 2/1 for Gerrard (with John Terry as favourite on 1/2 odds). With 47 caps at that time, Gerrard was a more experienced international player (as opposed to Terry's 29), but Steve McClaren chose to give the post to the Chelsea skipper, with Gerrard as vice-captain.

Personal life

Gerrard is married to Alex Curran, and the couple have two daughters: Lilly-Ella Gerrard (born February 23, 2004) and Lexie Gerrard (born May 09, 2006). They married at Cliveden on June 16, 2007, the same day as the weddings of England team-mates Gary Neville, Michael Carrick and rock star Rod Stewart, a day after England captain John Terry's.

On 1 September2006, Gerrard published his first autobiography, entitled Gerrard: My Autobiography, in which he talks extensively about his personal life, Liverpool and England careers. Gerrard states in his autobiography that his ambition before he retires is to get a "well done" from manager Rafael Benitez. The formal ceremony is expected to take place in 2007.

On 29 December 2006, Gerrard was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire by Elizabeth II in her New Year Honours List, for services to sport.

Off the pitch, Gerrard is good friends with Aston Villa midfielder and England colleague Gareth Barry[tatisticsCorrect as of 12 August 2007

International goals

Career honours/achievements

Liverpool

- Winner
- - FA Cup: 2000-01, 2005-06
- - Football League Cup: 2000-01, 2002-03
- - UEFA Champions League: 2004-05
- - UEFA Cup: 2000-01
- - Community Shield: 2001, 2006
- - European Super Cup: 2001

- Runner Up
- - FIFA Club World Championship: 2005
- - Football League Cup: 2004-05
- - Charity Shield: 2002
- - FA Premier League: 2001-02
- - UEFA Champions League: 2006-07

Personal
- 2007 Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
- 2006 PFA Player of the Year
- 2004–05 UEFA Champions League Most Valuable Player
- 2001 PFA Young Player of the Year

References and notes