"I've been dreading this moment and I'm absolutely devastated I won't be playing in front of these supporters again" - those were the words delivered to the Liverpool crowd from their club captain Steven Gerrard after the talisman played his final game at Anfield on Saturday.
The 34-year-old, who has been the Reds' beating heart for almost a decade, will officially close the curtain on his 17-year Liverpool career on May 24, but the midfielder said his goodbyes on home soil yesterday after gracing the Anfield pitch with the liver bird on his chest for the final time.
A 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace did not fit the script, but after the final whistle it was clear that the result was irrelevant as Gerrard managed to keep his emotions in check when the home faithful chanted his name.
It was an opportunity for the fans to say thank you to a man who has transformed into 'Mr Liverpool' over the years, due to his ability to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and lead his team out of trouble - sometimes single-handedly seeing them over the line.
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When Gerrard was a young boy growing up on Merseyside, he had to make that all-important decision of whether to be a red or a blue. Red was the colour, but little did he know that he would eventually become one of the greatest ever Liverpool players alongside Kenny Dalglish.
Gerard Houllier was the man to hand an 18-year-old Gerrard his debut in November 1998 against Blackburn Rovers at Anfield. It took time for the Whiston-born player to find his place in the team as he was shifted about from centre midfield to the right wing, and later in a 2008 interview with The Guardian, Gerrard admitted that he was out of his depth and that nerves had taken over.
It was not until the 1999-00 season when he scored his first Liverpool goal in a 4-1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday. Wearing the number 28 shirt, the skinny-legged youngster made a marauding run and managed to dodge past the defenders, including Des Walker, before drilling the ball low into the back of the net.
It appeared as though the local boy had come of age, but back problems that emanated from growing pains and numerous groin injuries halted Gerrard's progress. Was the youngster going to become just another injury-prone player? Was his dream of making a name for himself at his boyhood club crashing to the ground? Fortunately for Gerrard and Liverpool supporters, that was far from the case.
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The midfielder recovered and his talent caught the eye of then-England manager Kevin Keegan, who gave Gerrard his international debut in 2000 during a friendly match with Ukraine and the midfielder later impressed at the European Championships, despite his nation falling at the group-stage hurdle.
Back at home, Gerrard was becoming an integral part of the Liverpool first team. In 2001, the midfielder tasted European success by scoring in the UEFA Cup final against Alaves to help the Reds lift the trophy. It was a successful season for the Merseyside outfit as they sealed their own treble, also claiming the League Cup and FA Cup.
In October 2003, still under Houllier's guidance, Gerrard took over from Sami Hyypia as captain and began his journey to becoming the talisman that he has become. The difference between a good player and a great player can be looked at in various ways. Do you determine it by the number of winners' medals in their trophy cabinet, by the amount of personal honours that they have received? Or do you determine it by those career-defining moments, where the player has perhaps stood alone to drag their team from the mire when they look dead and buried? Because Gerrard did the latter plenty of times...
In the 2004-05 season, Liverpool's Champions League campaign was dangling by a thread until Gerrard unleashed a screamer of a goal against Olympiacos to keep the club's European hopes alive, and didn't it just! The midfielder would also lead the charge with a header in the final in Istanbul that kickstarted his side's remarkable comeback from 3-0 down against AC Milan to 3-3, and then a penalty-shootout triumph. In the following season, Gerrard saved his side again with a tremendous 30-yard strike in the dying minutes of the 2006 FA Cup final against West Ham United. Liverpool went on to win on penalties and take the trophy home.
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In the run-up to Gerrard's final game at Anfield, every superlative possible could have been used and rightly so. But, despite winning 10 trophies during his time with the Merseyside club, there is no getting away from the fact that the Premier League title has eluded Gerrard. Some may ask, 'how can a player be deemed one of the greats if he has never won the biggest trophy in his country?' There is no doubt that Gerrard would have added that winners' medal to his list of achievements if he had succumbed to the lure of Chelsea during his career. The midfielder flirted with the London boys in blue on two occasions and, shortly after guiding Liverpool to Champions League glory, Gerrard decided to set up home in the capital.
It was happening. Then-chief executive Rick Parry confirmed that Liverpool's captain had rejected a new contract and intended to sign for Chelsea, which sparked an uproar among Reds fans - some of whom were filmed burning Gerrard shirts.
Twenty-four hours later, though, the midfielder made a shock U-turn and said: "I've only one medal left to win at Liverpool and that's the Premiership. That's what I want more than anything and Liverpool is the only place I've ever wanted to win it." It wasn't to be.
During that tumultuous time, Gerrard admitted that he did not feel "wanted" by the club. There were rumblings that the midfielder had fallen out with then-manager Rafael Benitez, who is known for a more clean and clinical approach to management as opposed to one-on-one mentoring. It is no secret that Gerrard likes to have that arm around his shoulder - he waxes lyrical about Houllier and how he regarded the Frenchman as a 'father figure'. Having that need to feel wanted can sometimes leave a person vulnerable and, while Gerrard appears steely on the pitch and in front of the cameras, he gives the impression that he struggles to let go of the bad moments - they circulate in his head until he can put them right. That kind of attitude can have its flaws, but it also shows passion and dedication, which is why Liverpool fans will always deem their midfielder a club legend.
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When Gerrard announced earlier this season that he had agreed an 18-month deal to join MLS side Los Angeles Galaxy across the pond, some argued that Liverpool did not do enough to keep him. He has been the face of Liverpool Football Club for almost a decade, but there comes a point when the emotion must be extracted and the cold-hard truth must be taken on board - it appears that this is what manager Brendan Rodgers did when he told Gerrard that he will no longer be the first name on the teamsheet. It is all well and good looking back at the days when the midfielder seemed invincible, but reality cannot be escaped and the reality is that age is more than just a number. His pace is not the same as it used to be, his legs prevent him from committing those marauding runs - so what is the best option? Let a player of Gerrard's calibre diminish because of desperation to hold on, or say goodbye when he can still create moments of brilliance?
The sad truth is that Gerrard will probably want to forget his final two seasons as a Liverpool player. The midfielder's infamous slip against Chelsea became the catalyst that saw the Reds' challenge for their first league title in 24 years slip through their fingertips. The cruel outcome was roundly mocked by rival supporters as Gerrard was the subject of taunts about his misfortune every time that he ran onto the pitch this season. It seemed as though all of the neutrals were willing for Gerrard's final campaign at Liverpool to end with the FA Cup trophy on his 35th birthday, but it was not to be as the team crashed out to Aston Villa at the semi-final stage.
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There has been no fairytale ending to Gerrard's Liverpool career and considering that he has failed to claim the Premier League title, some will argue that he cannot be deemed one of the greats of the English game. Silverware, personal honours and statistics are all a good marker for success, but a crowd of over 40,000 people, some with tears in their eyes, falling silent to hear your departing words, is evidence that a man has left his mark. Whatever way it is looked at, Gerrard's loyalty and passion for Liverpool should be celebrated.
Players like him do not come around very often.
Danielle Joynson
