Steven Gerrard: My Liverpool Story
Page 1
Copyright © 2012 Steven Gerrard
The right of Steven Gerrard to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, this publication may only be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, with prior permission in writing of the publishers or, in the case of reprographic production, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency.
First published as an Ebook by Headline Publishing Group in 2012
Every effort has been made to fulfil requirements with regard to reproducing copyright material. The author and publisher will be glad to rectify any omissions at the earliest opportunity.
Cataloguing in Publication Data is available from the British Library
eISBN : 978 0 7553 6397 1
HEADLINE PUBLISHING GROUP
An Hachette UK Company
338 Euston Road
London NW1 3BH
www.headline.co.uk
www.hachette.co.uk
CONTENTS
COVER
TITLE PAGE
COPYRIGHT PAGE
PICTURE CREDITS
DEDICATION
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
FOREWORD
INTRODUCTION
Chapter 1 1980–1998
Chapter 2 1998–1999
Chapter 3 1999–2000
Chapter 4 2000–2001
Chapter 5 2001–2002
Chapter 6 2002–2003
Chapter 7 2003–2004
Chapter 8 2004–2005
Chapter 9 2005–2006
Chapter 10 2006–2007
Chapter 11 2007–2008
Chapter 12 2008–2009
Chapter 13 2009–2010
Chapter 14 2010–2011
Chapter 15 2011–2012
EPILOGUE
CAREER STATISTICS
Picture Credits
Laurie Fletcher: see here, see here, see here Action Images: see here, see here (Nick Potts); see here (MSI); see here, see here (Richard Heathcote); see here (John Sibley); see here; see here (Darren Walsh); see here (Tony O’Brien); see here (Alex Morton); see here right (Darren Walsh Livepic); see here (John Sibley); see here (REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach); see here (REUTERS/Jeff J. Mitchell); see here (Michael Regan/Livepic); see here (REUTERS/Nigel Roddis); see here (Paul Currie Livepic); see here, see here (Carl Recine Livepic); see here (Craig Brough Livepic); see here (REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth); see here (Lee Mills Livepic); see here (Carl Recine Livepic); see here (Livepic) Back Page Images: see here, see here (Javier Garcia); see here (Matt West) Colorsport: see here (Andrew Cowie) Express Newspapers: see here Getty Images: see here (Clive Brunskill); see here, see here (Stu Forster); see here (Michael Steele); see here (Phil Cole); see here, see here (Michael Steele); see here, see here top (Clive Brunskill); see here bottom; see here (Phil Cole); see here (Stu Forster); see here (Ben Radford); see here (Stephen Munday); see here, see here right (Popperfoto); see here (Shaun Botterill); see here (Alex Livesey); see here (Ben Radford); see here (Adrian Dennis); see here (Gary M. Prior); see here (Clive Brunskill); see here (Mark Thompson); see here (Laurence Griffiths); see here (Phil Cole); see here (Clive Brunskill); see here (Mike Hewitt); see here (Gary M. Prior); see here (Paul Barker); see here (Clive Brunskill); see here (Mark Thompson); see here (Nicolas Asfouri); see here (Clive Brunskill); see here (Steve Parkin); see here, see here (Alex Livesey); see here (Chris Coleman); see here (Paul Barker); see here (Michael Steele); see here (Laurence Griffiths); see here, see here (Ben Radford); see here (Clive Brunskill); see here (AFP); see here (Mike Hewitt); see here (Clive Brunskill); see here, see here (Alex Livesey); see here (Scott Barbour); see here (Alex Livesey); see here (Shaun Botterill); see here (Ross Kinnaird); see here (Shaun Botterill); see here (Bob Thomas); see here; see here (Carl de Souza); see here (Ben Radford); see here (Stu Forster); see here (Carl de Souza); see here (Stu Forster); see here, see here, (Laurence Griffiths); see here (Chris Coleman); see here (Mark Thompson); see here, see here (Laurence Griffiths); see here (Clive Brunskill); see here (Paul Ellis); see here (Mike Hewitt); see here (Clive Mason); see here (Laurence Griffiths); see here top (Andrew Yates); see here bottom (John Peters); see here, see here (Alex Livesey); see here (John Powell); see here (Paul Ellis); see here (John Powell); see here (Laurence Griffiths); see here (John Powell); see here, see here, see here (Andrew Powell); see here (Michael Regan); see here (Alex Livesey); see here (John Powell); see here (Andrew Yates); see here (Paul Gilham); see here, see here (John Powell); see here (Paul Ellis); see here (Jamie McDonald); see here (Matt Lewis/The FA) Liverpool Echo: see here (Andrew Teebay) Offside: see here, see here, see here, see here, see here (Mark Leech); see here, see here (Chris Lobina); see here, see here (Mark Leech); see here (Roy Beardsworth); see here (Matt Roberts); see here, see here (Roy Beardsworth); see here, see here, see here, see here, see here (Simon Stacpoole); see here (David Wilkinson); see here (Roy Beardsworth) Press Association Images: see here (Rui Vieira); see here (Mike Egerton/EMPICS Sport); see here (Paul Marriott/EMPICS Sport); see here, see here (Mike Egerton/EMPICS Sport); see here, see here (Nick Potts); see here (Phil Noble); see here (Peter Byrne); see here (Dominic Lipinski)
Rex Features: see here (Ted Blackbrow/Daily Mail); see here (Graham Chadwick/Daily Mail); see here (Andy Hooper/Daily Mail); see here; see here (Piers Allardyce)
DEDICATION
I would like to dedicate this book to my family, especially my wife, Alex, and my three beautiful daughters, Lilly-Ella, Lexie and Lourdes.
I hope that, by reading it, they better understand my story and can learn from my experiences, both good and bad, in a game I love.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank Struan Marshall and Kathryn Taylor at Wasserman and Andy Sterling of Benson McGarvey for their advice and help throughout my career. Thanks also to Jonathan Taylor and Richard Roper of Headline Publishing Group for their expertise in putting the book together, Paul Joyce of the Daily Express for helping to get my thoughts down and to Ged Rea for collating all the statistics.
FOREWORD
Football players are forever finding themselves pigeon-holed. You hear claims all the time that so and so is the best at this, someone else is the best at that, or no one has ever done this quite as well before. In the end, I am not sure any of it really matters. It is down to personal preference most of the time, anyway.
But when I think about Steven Gerrard and Liverpool, one fact is indisputable: the enormous contribution Steven has made to the history of the football club from the moment he first stepped out on the turf wearing that red shirt.
People should just be grateful that they have had the opportunity to watch Steven grow as a player, and as a person, before their very eyes, and take heart from the reality that he has brought so much excitement and joy to everyone in the process.
I have admired Steven from afar as a fantastic midfielder who leads by example on the pitch, but also off it with the way he conducts himself and speaks so honestly and passionately about Liverpool, and I count myself lucky to have worked closely alongside him, day in, day out, when I returned to Anfield as manager.
It was disappointing that I couldn’t select him as often as I would have liked due to injury in that period, but I know exactly what Steven went through for Liverpool Football Club during my time back at the helm, especially the lengths he went to in order to make himself available for selection.
I am not being disrespectful to any of the other players, but when Steven trained with the squad the quality in the sessions simply went up another notch – firstly bec
ause he is such a good player, but also because his team-mates sensed that quality amongst them and knew they had to raise their own games to try and match his. That tells you something about his presence and also the respect he receives as a colleague and a captain.
When I think about Steven Gerrard and Liverpool, I consider theirs to be the perfect fit. On the one hand you have a marvellous player who is living out his dreams with his boyhood favourites and, on the other, you have a magnificent club that has helped him to fulfil most of his ambitions.
Theirs is a relationship that has suited both parties. A match made on Merseyside.
Kenny Dalglish, August 2012
INTRODUCTION
Every year, I am presented with countless opportunities to do books about my career. I usually turn them down flat. However, the chance to tell ‘My Liverpool Story’ through my words and the photographs which frame my life was too good a chance to overlook.
Sifting through all the pictures stirred great memories and I hope those who read this book gain the same level of enjoyment I have had in writing it. Each day I realise how lucky I am to live the dream.
Hopefully, there are a few more chapters still to be written in my time at Anfield, a few more trophies to lift and a few more highs to sample.
Steven Gerrard, August 2012
THREE WORDS CHANGED MY LIFE: LIVERPOOL WANT YOU
I didn’t realise it at the time, but when my dad told me of the interest from Anfield one night at home in Huyton everything altered for me: my direction in life, the path I’d take growing up, the choices I’d make from that day on.
I was just a baby – eight years old – but that was that. A full-blown love affair had been ignited.
Dave Shannon, a coach at Liverpool’s Centre of Excellence, had approached Ben McIntyre, the manager of my local Sunday League team, Whiston Juniors, and he then relayed the news to my dad.
My dad wasn’t really surprised. He had grown used to scouts pulling him to one side after games. ‘Is the midfielder your lad?’ they would ask. ‘We like him. We would like him to come and train with us.’
Manchester United, Everton and Manchester City had all been in touch and basically Liverpool’s interest snowballed from there. They didn’t want one of their deadly rivals pinching a talent from under their noses and so invited me to go for a trial in the old Vernon Sangster Sports Centre that used to be in the shadow of Anfield, but is now no longer there, or to Melwood in the school holidays.
Melwood? The place where Liverpool’s first team train? Me?
Just to be driven through the iron gates of the training ground was an amazing feeling and on the way there with my dad I was imagining bumping into the likes of John Barnes and Ronnie Whelan.
Of course, there was no chance of that. The first team had long since gone home and it was night before the kids were allowed in. As it was, the first thing that really struck me about being in this magical, hallowed place that had been graced by some of the greatest players ever to play football was . . . the grass. It wasn’t like the scrap of land where I pretended to be a professional footballer every spare minute I had growing up in Ironside Road. It was like a carpet, a bowling green. Perfect.
At that age, I didn’t have a clue if I was good or not. Whiston Juniors was a well-run club and used to produce a programme with match reports in them. I was scoring hat-tricks, getting Man of the Match and we were beating teams heavily, every week.
I knew I was important for my Sunday League side, maybe the best in the league, but when you turn up at Liverpool to play in a small trial game and see other young lads doing the turns and flicks that you’ve been practising it was like: wow! There are other good players out there too! A whole new world opened up in front of me and it was one I was desperate to be a part of.
Back then, at the very start of my career, I was more scared and nervous than anything else. I didn’t know what to expect, what Liverpool wanted from me. But I was soon put at ease.
The first three people I met were the coaches Steve Heighway, Hughie McAuley and Dave, who had started the whole process off. From day one until the day I turned professional, they were there for me. And they would still be there for me if I needed anything.
They were a team and all used to sing off the same hymn sheet. They believed in the same values of the club and looking back on it now they became like uncles to me. I felt as though I was part of a family because they treated me that well.
Don’t get me wrong, there were times when they could give out a telling off – Steve would normally be the one to do that – but they always wanted the best for me.
Liverpool’s support didn’t stop me from trying out different clubs. Going elsewhere allowed me to see what those clubs were like compared to Liverpool, but I never got the same feeling.
I went to Manchester United on a five-day trial during the school holidays and I met Sir Alex Ferguson. I went to West Ham and scored a couple of goals in a trial game against Cambridge, which we won 6–2.
I spent four days with West Ham when I was 11 and at the end of it they offered me a three-year professional contract for when I was 17. Maybe I was better than I thought after all. Everton were also keen on offering me a deal around the same time, but they never had a chance. They were pestering my dad all the time to get me to go in and have a look around and play in a game for them and eventually I did just that, to ensure my dad got a break from them as much as anything. I started a game for them, but at half-time I was taken off. To this day I don’t know why. Maybe they had seen enough, but there were a lot of kids there that day so they could have wanted to give someone else a chance. But I took it as an insult. Everton had been asking me to go there for months and months and months and then they dragged me off. I just thought if I am going to impress you, I want a full match to do it in.
There were also a couple of games for Tranmere as a favour to one of my dad’s mates. I was never going to go there, but I did follow them a bit. Ged Brannan was from the same estate as me and he played for them and used to get us tickets every now and then, so I did have a bit of a soft spot for them. Really though, I wanted to play for Liverpool. My team. And Liverpool wanted me.
Steve Heighway was happy for me to go and try other places, test the water, but he’d always have a message for Dad before I went anywhere. ‘Don’t do anything stupid because we want Steven,’ he’d say. ‘And we want him for a long time.’
* * *
“Melwood? The place where Liverpool’s first team train? Me?”
* * *
DREAMING OF ANFIELD
I trained at Liverpool a couple of times a week when I was first starting out. It was the club I supported, but I didn’t appreciate what Liverpool meant back then. I didn’t understand how big the club was, how it had thousands of people in the city under its spell, and millions more across the world, and I probably didn’t understand how lucky I was.
I was just bothered about football and at that stage it didn’t matter who it was for. Whether it was for Liverpool, my school, Cardinal Heenan School, or Whiston Juniors didn’t bother me at that time. I just wanted to play.
Every day I practised in the street. While I was waiting for my dad to take me to Melwood, I’d be juggling a ball by the car. If we were getting the bus, I’d dribble the ball to the stop. Every morning I’d check my school bag to make sure I hadn’t forgotten anything that I would need that day. Making sure I had a ball for break, lunchtime and after school, was my first priority and after that my books.
I did dream about Liverpool though. A lot. From being the eight-year-old who didn’t know how good he was, I remember the first time I started to think I might have a chance of making it was when Michael Owen and me were asked to go with Liverpool U18s for a tournament in Spain. We were 11 at the time. From the first moment I saw Michael in those early games at the Vernon Sangster, I knew he was brilliant. He scored for fun when we were kids. Ice cold in front of goal even at that age.
Ther
e were between 10 and 14 players in our age group at Liverpool, but only Michael and I were invited to San Sebastian. We didn’t play, it was just for experience, but privately I figured that for us to be the only ones invited meant the coaches thought we had a good chance. I don’t know whether they rated me as highly as Michael, but just being on that trip to sunny Spain helped me focus.
With progress comes responsibility. I wasn’t really one for school, I didn’t like doing homework for starters, but there was no way that my dad would allow me to misbehave. It was about respect. There were times when I would get above my station with the PE teachers and try and act the big shot because I was training at Liverpool, but if they had ever told my dad he would have come down heavy on me.
Liverpool stressed, too, that the invites to Melwood would stop for anyone going off the rails at school and causing trouble. I didn’t fancy testing things to see if Steve Heighway was making an empty threat or a promise.
At the age of 14, another mini-milestone arrived. Liverpool offered me two years’ schoolboy forms, an apprenticeship and then a three-year professional contract when I turned 17. They did rate me, and highly.
While most of my mates at school had trouble scraping together a few quid, I had it written down in black and white on Liverpool-headed notepaper in a draw in my house how much I would be earning until I was 20. When I turned professional, I would be on £700-a-week rather than a month. The next year £800-a-week and then £900-a-week.
The sums were mind-boggling really. My life was being mapped out in front of me, but it was never, ever about money for me. It was just about football.
I think everyone who is at a Centre of Excellence or on schoolboy forms believes they will make it. At the end of the day, you are at Liverpool for a reason. But there were times when I realised it wasn’t going to be all plain sailing, which is a route that my career has followed ever since. Every time I would step up in an age group, it dawned on me just how hard it was going to be to eventually pull on the red shirt. I was still tiny and everyone else was stronger, bigger and faster than me. In those circumstances, I am sure there have been good players who have slipped through the net and not been given the opportunity to fulfil their potential. There was no way that was going to happen to me and, fortunately, I was able to make up for those disadvantages in other areas. Team-mates and rivals used to tower over me, but football-wise I was head and shoulders above them. I saw things differently on the pitch, spotted the pass quicker than many of them and then delivered it better.