Gerrard flies into top five of Liverpool greatest-ever players, do any of Jurgen’s men make our list?
2. Steven Gerrard
1998-2015 (709 appearances): At virtually every other club, this one-club messiah would be a shoo-in for number one. But, then, Gerrard is vying with footballing royalty vying for top spot. Even aged 34 in his final season when he lost his regular starting spot for the first time in his career, the Huyton-born Kopite was still the go-to man when Liverpool were under the cosh and desperately needed a goal. The fans expected because he delivered so often. In Instanbul, Cardiff, Dortmund and on countless big stages. But Gerrard was so much more than a great goalscorer and scorer of great and important goals. He was the driving force of every Liverpool team he played in, some of them decidedly average. A complete all-rounder, he could pass, tackle, shoot and had a combination of pace and technique lacking in his international colleagues Paul Scholes and Frank Lampard. But it was not all these qualities which made him such a colossal influence. “Most importantly he gives the players around him confidence and belief,” said Zinedine Zidane in 2009.” You can’t learn that – players like him are just born with that presence.”
Click below to find out who sits first in our list of Liverpool’s greatest-ever players