Written By: Nirmalya Dutta | Updated : July 21, 2014 10:44 PM IST
As a lifelong Manchester United, there's no footballer I love to hate more than Steven Gerrard. So it's bittersweet really, because today, as he retires from international football one can lament that one of England's most talented and hard-working footballers has so little to show for his brilliance. Here are five reasons; this Manchester United fan tips his hat to Steven Gerrard:
His ability to inspire
Liverpool captain since 2003, Gerrard has bled red-and-white since he was a little boy. And he has been immense for the club in their success over the years and was also instrumental in the 2013-14 Premier League race where he almost led his club to a first Premier League title in almost a quarter of a century. But his defining moment will always be the Champions League final in Istanbul in 2005 when Gerrard inspired Liverpool to come back from a three-goal deficit which pushed the match into extra time and then a penalty shoot-out that Liverpool won. None of that would've been possible without Stevie G.
His loyalty to his club
It must have hurt Steven Gerrard to watch Manchester United win the league again and again. Sadly, United now have 20 league titles to Liverpool's 18. But the thing is that Gerrard could've moved anywhere to win more silverware. Chelsea had come calling earlier; Bayern Munich wanted him as did Real Madrid. He could've easily gone to a club with more resources but he refused to give up the dream of winning a league title with his boyhood club. And he came so close this year ironically, it was his slip that allowed Chelsea to score and allow Man City to win the title.
His sheer grit and ability to fight setbacks
While looking back now, it might look like it easy for him but it wasn't. When he joined the Liverpool first-team as a youngster, he couldn't nail down a position so he'd end up playing on the right wing which wasn't his natural position. His former colleague Michael Owen made it to the first team before him but he never did give up the dream. And he has always fought back when the chips were down, coming back from numerous injuries throughout his career. In fact, in his greatest performance ever against West Ham United in Cardiff in the FA Cup final when he scored two goals and set up the first, he scored a 35-yard screamer despite suffering from cramps! That's just how much Steven Gerrard wants to win.
His adaptability on the field
Throughout his career Gerrard has played a variety of positions in midfield box-to-box midfielder, winger, in-the-hole, holding midfielder and excelled in each one of them. This stems from the fact that he always wanted to learn. When he was younger, he was often asked to play anywhere on the field and while others might have complained, he just worked on excelling in whatever position he found himself.
His desire to win
French maestro Zinedine Zidane said in 2009: 'Is he the best in the world? He might not get the attention of Messi and Ronaldo but yes, I think he just might be. He has great passing ability, can tackle and scores goals, but most importantly he gives the players around him confidence and belief. You can't learn that players like him are just born with that presence.' No one wanted to win as much as Steven Gerrrad. It's what set him apart from the numerous other talented footballers to grace the Premier League and it is this hunger that took all the way to the World Cup as England captain. Sadly, England turned in their worst performance in years and like Liverpool, Gerrard will keep on wondering what could've been if only the men around him had his levels of will and perseverance.
Image Source: Getty Images
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