Steven Gerrard(Part 2)

In August 2007, Gerrard suffered a toe fracture during a Champions League qualifier against Toulouse, but remarkably, he returned just four days later to play the full duration of a 1–1 league draw against Chelsea. On 28 October 2007, Gerrard reached a significant milestone by playing his 400th game for Liverpool in a league match against Arsenal, marking the occasion with a goal.


His scoring prowess continued, as he netted in all but one of Liverpool's domestic and European matches throughout November. Notably, he became the first Liverpool player since John Aldridge in 1989 to score in seven consecutive games in all competitions after scoring the solitary goal in a Champions League away match against Marseille on 11 December. His outstanding performances earned him a sixth-place finish (after Kaká, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Didier Drogba, and Ronaldinho) in the 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year rankings.


On 13 April 2008, Gerrard celebrated his 300th Premier League appearance in a match against Blackburn Rovers, contributing the opening goal in a 3–1 victory for Liverpool. He concluded the season with twenty-one goals in all competitions, surpassing his tally from the 2006–07 season. Gerrard's stellar form earned him a spot in the PFA Team of the Year, and he was also nominated for the PFA Players' Player of the Year, alongside teammate Fernando Torres.


At the start of the 2008–09 season, Gerrard required groin surgery, but the issue was deemed not serious, allowing him to swiftly return to training.[61] On 20 September, he scored what seemed to be his hundredth career goal for Liverpool against Stoke City, but it was disallowed due to Dirk Kuyt being ruled offside. However, Gerrard reached this significant milestone eleven days later in a 3–1 Champions League group stage victory over PSV.


After the conclusion of the 2009–10 season, Rafael Benítez left Liverpool after six years, and Roy Hodgson took over as the manager. Hodgson reassured fans that Gerrard would not be sold, putting an end to any speculation about the captain's future. Gerrard further quelled doubts by expressing his enthusiasm for the upcoming season with Liverpool and commending the signing of Joe Cole. He played his first pre-season match of the 2010–11 season on 1 August 2010, alongside new signing Joe Cole, against Borussia Mönchengladbach.


Gerrard opened his goal-scoring account for the 2010–11 season by converting a penalty in a Europa League qualifier against Macedonian side FK Rabotnički on 5 August 2010.[74] In a notable performance on 19 September, he scored two goals at Old Trafford in a 3–2 loss against Manchester United. Gerrard netted from a penalty kick in the 64th minute and followed it up with a free-kick six minutes later to level the game at 2–2. A week later, he secured the second equalizer in a 2–2 home draw with Sunderland.[76] Eleven days after that, Gerrard came off the bench to score a second-half hat-trick in a 3–1 victory over Napoli in the Europa League.


The start of the 2011–12 season saw Gerrard sidelined due to a groin injury, which had also kept him out of action for significant parts of the previous season. Despite interest from Bayern Munich, Gerrard disclosed that he rejected the chance to join the German club in the summer. He emphasized the value of staying at a traditional club like Liverpool and the importance of winning trophies, stating that it is more meaningful to achieve success with a club like Liverpool than taking an easier route to a different team.


On 29 October, Gerrard underwent treatment to address an infection in his right ankle, necessitating a protective plaster cast. Consequently, he had to sit out Liverpool's league match against West Bromwich Albion on that day and was ruled out for at least the subsequent match against Swansea City, along with England's friendly encounters against Sweden and Spain in the following week.[81] Returning on 30 December, Gerrard came off the bench against Newcastle United and marked his presence with a splendid goal.


Gerrard played a pivotal role in guiding Liverpool to their first cup final in six years and their first at Wembley Stadium in 18 years. Liverpool secured a 3–2 aggregate victory over Manchester City in the semi-finals, with Gerrard scoring penalties in both legs. This led them to the 2012 Football League Cup final against Cardiff City on 26 February 2012, which Liverpool won on penalties. Celebrating his 400th Premier League appearance for Liverpool, Gerrard delivered a spectacular performance, scoring a hat-trick to secure a 3–0 victory over rivals Everton in the Merseyside derby on 13 March.


From 2012 to 2015, Gerrard continued to play a crucial role in the Liverpool squad. On 18 August 2012, he marked his 250th match as Liverpool captain. Opening his scoring account for the Premier League season on 23 September, Gerrard scored the first goal in a 2–1 defeat against Manchester United.


On 15 July 2013, Gerrard committed his future to Liverpool by signing a contract extension. On 3 August 2013, Liverpool organized a charity fund-raising testimonial match for Gerrard against Olympiacos, the team against whom he scored one of his most celebrated goals, at Anfield. The match ended with a 2–0 victory for Liverpool, featuring appearances from past players like Jamie Carragher and Robbie Fowler. The proceeds from the event, totaling £500,000, were directed to Alder Hey Children's Charity, of which Gerrard is a founding partner.


On 5 October, Gerrard scored in a 3–1 triumph over Crystal Palace, making him Liverpool's first player to score in 15 successive league campaigns—a record surpassing the previous mark set by Billy Liddell in 1959.[70] In the same month, he became Liverpool's longest-serving captain, surpassing the previous record held by Alex Raisbeck, who captained the team from 1899 to 1909, marking a decade since Gerrard's appointment by Gérard Houllier on 15 October 2013.


On 19 October 2013, Gerrard achieved another milestone by scoring his 100th Premier League goal—a penalty against Newcastle United in a 2–2 draw.[93] His impact was felt on 16 March 2014, when he scored two penalties and missed another in Liverpool's 3–0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford. With nine career goals against arch-rivals Manchester United, Gerrard became Liverpool’s highest goalscorer in the fixture. On 6 April, he once again converted two penalties as Liverpool defeated West Ham United 2–1, propelling them to the top of the Premier League table with five matches remaining. These goals elevated him above Kenny Dalglish as Liverpool's sixth-highest goalscorer of all time.

References

1.  "John Barnes: Liverpool's Steven Gerrard world-class in new role". The Sports Review. 18 May 2014. Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
2. ^ Rich, Tim (29 November 2008). "A decade of Gerrard: from skinny lad to the hero of Anfield". TheGuardian.com. Archived from the original on 4 February 2009. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
3. a b c "Steven Gerrard completes decade at Liverpool". The Times. Archived from the original on 18 December 2014. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
4. ^ Bull, JJ (30 March 2020). "Retro Premier League review: Why 2008/09 was Steven Gerrard's peak season". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
5. ^ "2014 World Cup – #WorldCupRank: No. 37 Steven Gerrard". ESPN FC. 30 May 2014. Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
6. ^ Cox, Michael (10 July 2015). "Steven Gerrard's 'make-or-break' 2014 culminated in Liverpool departure". ESPN FC. Archived from the original on 10 July 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
7. ^ "Liverpool vs. Basel 1–1". The Guardian. 9 December 2014. Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
8. a b c d "Who is better: Scholes or Gerrard?". Manchester Evening News. Archived from the original on 4 January 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
9. ^ "Gerrard, il capitano perfetto Corre, ragiona, segna. E ci crede". Il Corriere della Sera (in Italian). 23 June 2012. Archived from the original on 6 January 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
10. ^ "Eriksson, lezione di calcio alla Germania". Il Corriere della Sera (in Italian). 2 September 2001. Archived from the original on 10 August 2011. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
11. ^ "Steven Gerrard: The rare captain". ESPN FC. Archived from the original on 4 January 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
12. ^ "Steven Gerrard Slams Phil Neville For Diving (VIDEO)". The Huffington Post. 29 October 2012. Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 21 January 2013.