. He also has 90 caps for the
. He has played much of his career in a
. Gerrard is best known for his tremendous long-range striking ability and has scored in numerous cup finals, including the
.
, made his début in 1998 and cemented his place in the first team in the 2000–01 season, succeeding
in 2003. His honours include two
. In 2005, Gerrard came third in the voting for
, given to the top player in Europe.
, where he was the team's top goalscorer with two goals. Gerrard is the current vice-captain of the
. However, he captained his country at the
who missed the tournament through injury.
Gerrard replaced
Sami Hyypiä as Liverpool captain in October 2003, as manager
Gérard Houlliersaid that he recognised Gerrard had demonstrated leadership qualities early on, but needed to mature.
[14] He chose to extend his contract at the club, signing a new four-year deal.
[15]
Houllier quit after a trophyless 2003–04 campaign, and Gerrard was linked with a move to
Chelseaduring the offseason. He admitted he was not "happy with the progress Liverpool has made", and that "for the first time in my career I've thought about the possibility of moving on."
[16] In the end, Gerrard turned down a £20 million offer from Chelsea to stay with Liverpool and new coach
Rafael Benítez.
[17]
Breakthrough and trophy campaigns (2004-2007)
Liverpool were wracked with injury early in the 2004–05 season, and a foot injury suffered in a September league match against Manchester United shelved Gerrard until late November. He returned to score in the last five minutes of a Champions League group stage match against
Olympiacos to secure Liverpool's advancement to the knockout round.
[18] He claimed that this was his most important, if not his best, goal for Liverpool to date.
[19] However, Gerrard netted an own goal during the 2005
League Cup final on 27 February, which proved decisive in Liverpool's 3–2 loss to Chelsea.
[20]
During a six-minute stretch in the second half of the
2005 Champions League final against
A.C. Milan, Liverpool came back from a three-goal deficit to tie the match at 3–3 after extra time, with Gerrard scoring one of the goals. Liverpool's third goal was gained as a penalty from a foul awarded to Liverpool when
Gennaro Gattuso fouled Gerrard in Milan's penalty box. Gerrard did not participate in the penalty shootout, which Liverpool won 3–2 as they claimed their first Champions League trophy in twenty years,
[21] though he was named the Man of the Match, and later received the
UEFA Club Footballer of the Year award.
[22]
In regards to his contract issues with Liverpool, Gerrard told the press after the final, "How can I leave after a night like this?"
[23] But negotiations soon stalled and on 5 July 2005, after Liverpool turned down another lucrative offer from Chelsea, Gerrard rejected a club-record £100,000-a-week offer. Liverpool chief executive
Rick Parry conceded the club had lost Gerrard, saying, "Now we have to move on. We have done our best, but he has made it clear he wants to go and I think it looks pretty final."
[24] The next day, Gerrard signed a new four-year deal as Parry blamed the earlier breakdown of talks on miscommunication between the two sides.
[25][26]
Gerrard during the 2006–07 season
Gerrard scored 23 goals in 53 appearances in 2005–06, and in April became the first Liverpool player since
John Barnes in 1988 to be voted the
PFA Player of the Year.
[27] He scored twice in the
2006 FA Cup finalagainst
West Ham United, including an equalizer that sent the match into extra time, and Liverpool won their second consecutive major trophy on penalties. The goals made him the only player to have scored in the FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Cup and Champions League finals.
[28] Gerrard netted a penalty as Liverpool eliminated league rival Chelsea in the
2006–07 Champions League semi-finals to return to their second final in three seasons, which they lost 2–1 to Milan.
[29][30]
Gerrard suffered a hairline toe fracture in an August 2007 Champions League qualifier against
Toulouse F.C.,
[31] but returned four days later to play the entirety of a 1–1 league draw against Chelsea.
[32] On 28 October 2007, Gerrard played his 400th game for Liverpool in a league match against
Arsenal, in which he scored.
[33][34] He scored in all but one of Liverpool's domestic and European matches during the month of November, and after scoring the only goal in a Champions League away tie against
Olympique de Marseilleon 11 December, he became the first Liverpool player since
John Aldridge in 1989 to score in seven consecutive games in all competitions.
[35]
Continued success and stardom (2007-)
Gerrard made his 300th
Premier League appearance on 13 April 2008 in a match against Blackburn Rovers, scoring the opening goal,
[36][37] and finished the season with twenty-one goals in all competitions, surpassing his total from the 2006–07 season. Gerrard was selected for the PFA Team of the Year and he was also one of the nominees or the PFA Player of the Year, alongside teammate
Fernando Torres.
[38][39]
Gerrard needed to undergo groin surgery at the beginning of the 2008–09 season, but the problem was not serious and he quickly returned to training.
[40] He scored what appeared to be his hundredth career Liverpool goal against
Stoke City on 20 September, but it was disallowed after
Dirk Kuyt was ruled offside.
[41] He achieved the milestone eleven days later in a 3–1 Champions League group stage win over
PSV.
[42]
He made his 100th appearance in European club competition for Liverpool on 10 March 2009 against
Real Madrid and scored twice in a 4–0 win.
[43] Four days after the impressive victory over Real, Gerrard would score at
Old Trafford for the first time from the penalty spot, putting Liverpool ahead on their way to a 4–1 victory over
Manchester United.
[44] Following these results, three-time
FIFA World Player of the Year Zinedine Zidane hailed the Liverpool skipper, saying "Is he the best in the world? He might not get the attention of
Messi and
Ronaldo but yes, I think he might be."
[45] On 22 March 2009, Gerrard scored his first ever hat-trick in the Premier League, against
Aston Villa, in a 5–0 victory.
[46] On 13 May 2009, Gerrard was named as the 2009
Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year, becoming the first Liverpool player to win the award in nineteen years. Gerrard had pipped Manchester United duo Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney in the poll voted for by journalists, beating Ryan Giggs by just 10 votes. Upon receiving the award, he was quoted as saying "I'm delighted but I'm a little bit surprised", he commented. "When you look at the quality of the players there are in this league, it's a great privilege to win this kind of award."
[47] He ended the
2009–10 season with a total of 12 goals and 9 assists from 46 matches.
Following the
2009–10 season,
Rafael Benítez departed Liverpool after six years and was succeeded as manager by
Roy Hodgson, who quickly assured fans that Gerrard would not be sold.
[2] To further eliminate any speculation surrounding his future at the club, Gerrard made a statement emphasising his excitement at the coming season with
Liverpool and praising the signing of
Joe Cole.
[48] Gerrard soon played his first pre-season match of the 2010–11 season against
Borussia Mönchengladbach on 1 August 2010 alongside new signing
Joe Cole.
[49]
Gerrard before Jamie Carragher's Testimonial Match (2010)
His next two goals came on 19 September at
Old Trafford in a 3–2 loss against
Manchester United; he scored from a penalty kick in the 64th minute and a free-kick 6 minutes later to level the game at 2–2.
[51] He followed this up with the equaliser in a 2–2 home draw with
Sunderland.
[52] 11 days later Gerrard came off the bench to score a second-half hat-trick in a 3–1 win over
Napoli in the
Europa League.
[53]
Gerrard missed the start of English Premier League season 2011–2012 due to groin injury which had kept him away for much of the 2010–2011 season as well.
[54] Gerrard made his first start for Liverpool squad in the October match at Anfield against fierce rivals Manchester United. Gerrard scored the club's only goal in the match, from a free kick, which ended in a 1-1 draw. On October 29, Gerrard underwent a treatment to clear an infection in his right ankle, which was placed in a protective plaster cast. He was forced to miss Liverpool's league match against
West Bromwichthat day and was ruled out for at least the following week's match against
Swansea the following week and
England's friendly matches against
Sweden and
Spain the week after.
[55] After a prolonged ankle injury recuperation, Gerrard returned to first team action in the match against
Blackburn Rovers, coming off the bench. On 30 December, Gerrard came off the bench against
Newcastle United and scored a fine goal.
[56] Gerrard helped Liverpool reach their first cup final at Wembley Stadium in 18 years as Liverpool prevailed 3-2 on aggregate over Manchester City. Gerrard fired home a penalty during both legs to secure a trip to the
Carling Cup Final against
Cardiff in February 2012, which Liverpool won on penalties.
On his 400th league appearance for Liverpool, Gerrard scored a hat-trick to give Liverpool a 3-0 victory over rivals
Everton in the
Merseyside Derby on 13 March 2012.
International career
Gerrard made his international debut against
Ukraine on 31 May 2000.
[57] That summer, he was called up for
Euro 2000, making only one appearance as a substitute in a 1–0 win over
Germany before England were eliminated in the group stage.
[58][59] Gerrard scored his first international goal in the famous
5–1 victory over Germany in a
2002 World Cup qualifier in September 2001, and while England qualified, Gerrard was forced to pull out of the squad due to his ongoing groin problems after pulling up in Liverpool's final match of the season against
Ipswich.
[60]
He was a regular starter in
Euro 2004, scoring once – against
Switzerland – before England were eliminated by
Portugal in the quarter-finals on penalties.
[61] He participated in his first
World Cup in 2006 and two goals, both in the group stage, against
Trinidad & Tobago and
Sweden, although his spot kick was one of three saved by goalkeeper
Ricardo as England again bowed out to Portugal in the quarter-finals on penalties.
[62] He was England's top scorer in the tournament.
Gerrard was made vice-captain of the England team by coach
Steve McClaren,
[63] and while he filled in for
John Terry as captain, England suffered back-to-back losses to
Russia and
Croatia that ended their
Euro 2008 qualifying hopes.
[64] After new coach
Fabio Capello took over the team in early 2008, Gerrard was given a trial run as captain but Capello settled on Terry for the role.
[65][66] Gerrard was subsequently replaced as England vice-captain by
Rio Ferdinand.
[67]
John Terry was replaced by
Rio Ferdinand as captain in 2010, following revelations about the former's private life,
[69] and Gerrard subsequently became vice-captain again. When the England team left for the 2010 World Cup, Gerrard was the most experienced player in the squad with 80 caps. During preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, however, Rio Ferdinand was injured, meaning that Gerrard was appointed by Capello as
captain for the tournament.
[5] After the tournament Gerrard, part of a group of England players dubbed the "
Golden Generation", confirmed that he would continue to be available for selection, despite suggestions from Capello that he would seek to re-build the team.
[70]
Personal life
The autobiography ends with "I play for Jon-Paul." Gerrard's cousin, Jon-Paul Gilhooley, was killed in the 1989
Hillsborough Tragedy, when Gerrard was eight. Jon-Paul, who was 10 when he died, was the youngest of the 96 victims of the tragedy.
[91]"It was difficult knowing one of your cousins had lost his life", Gerrard said. "Seeing his family's reaction drove me on to become the player I am today."
[92]
On 1 October 2007, Gerrard was involved in a low-speed accident in
Southport when the car he was driving hit a ten-year-old cyclist, who had shot into the street and inadvertently cut off Gerrard's path. He later visited the boy in the hospital and presented him with a pair of boots signed by
Wayne Rooney, the boy's favourite player, after which he stayed to sign autographs for other young patients.
[93]
On 29 December 2008, Gerrard was taken into custody outside the Lounge Inn in
Southport on suspicion of a
section 20 assault.
[97] He and two others were later charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and
affray, relating to an incident which left the bar's
disc jockeywith a broken tooth and cuts to his forehead.
[98][99] The three men were given
police to court bail and were required to appear at North Sefton
Magistrates' Court on 23 January 2009,
[99] where they all pleaded not guilty.
[100] The case was adjourned until 20 March when the assault charge was dropped but Gerrard was required to attend
Liverpool Crown Court to face trial for affray.
[101] On 3 April, Gerrard pleaded not guilty.
[102]
The case went to trial in Liverpool Crown Court. Gerrard's co-defendants pleaded guilty before the trial but Gerrard maintained his innocence. Gerrard admitted hitting Marcus McGee but claimed it was in self defence and on July 24, Gerrard was found not guilty by the jury. Following the verdict, Gerrard said he was looking forward to getting back to playing football and putting the experience behind him.
[103]
In 2011 Gerrard appeared in the film
Will.
A newly opened hotel located in
Indonesia in 2011 was named
Stevie G in honour of him by the Liverpool supporting owners.
[104]
Career statistics
- As of 22 March 2012
Honours
Individual
- FWA Footballer of the Year: 2009
- PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2006
- PFA Young Player of the Year: 2001
- PFA Fans' Player of the Year: 2001, 2009
- PFA Team of the Year: 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
- FA Premier League Player of the Month: March 2001, March 2003, December 2004, April 2006, March 2009
- Liverpool Top Goalscorer: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09
- UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 2005
- UEFA Champions League Final Man of the Match: 2005
- UEFA Team of the Year: 2005, 2006, 2007
- FIFA/FIFPro World XI: 2007, 2008, 2009[105]
- FA Cup Final Man of the Match: 2006
- Goal of the Season: 2006
- England Player of the Year: 2007
- Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE): 2007
- Honorary Fellowship from Liverpool John Moores University: 2008
- BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award 3rd Place: 2005
Awards
Ballon d'Or
FIFA World Player of the Year
