When you think about the team Liverpool, you can’t help but think of Steven Gerrard. Without a doubt, one of the best players that team has ever seen. He was only a mere 17 years of age when he put on the famous red jersey, a teenager still, with huge amounts of responsibility placed upon him.
Many felt at the time that Stevie G would crack under the weight of expectation. Not only did he not crack, he thrived. Being named the Liverpool captain at the young age of 23 and held onto it for 12 years. In his 17-year career at Liverpool, he only received 8 red cards in that entire time, a minimal amount considering the length of time he played.
For Liverpool fans having a home grown player like Gerrard was like having Christmas every week. Indeed he was particularly known for his festive goals. Stevie scored five goals for Liverpool on Boxing Day, for example. So, while everyone else was getting involved in some kempton betting you would never bet against him scoring in the festive period.
It’s time to shower some well-deserved praise on the legendary Steven Gerrard and highlight 5 of his most iconic goals to date. His retirement may have been back in 2016 but the admiration had for this spectacular player still reigns strong.
Top 5 Goals
1999 marked his first-ever goal for Liverpool, where he played against Sheffield. With full concentration and what was to be known as the iconic Steven Gerrard run, he ran from midfield with extreme speed, strength and stamina, fighting off every defender who tried to stop him. Running with high intensity and managing to turn that run into a successful goal, without any attackers beside you is a difficult feat and one that Gerrard managed easily, scoring the ball from a distance past the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.
Skip forward 7 years to 2006 and it’s the FA Cup Final, against the opponents West Ham. With Gerrard experiencing a cramp only moments before, the Reds were looking like they might not score the winning goal. With the scoreboard at 2 – 2, one goal was still needed otherwise it would lead to penalties. Seeing something no one else but Gerrard could see, he shot a perfectly strong and smooth goal from over 30 yards away that went straight into the bottom corner. The fans went wild and dubbed the move the class ‘Gerrard Final’ move.
In 2007 the Reds were set to face Aston Villa. The game was neck and neck, with the score 1 – 1 and the fans biting their nails as the game was slowly but surely coming to a 90-minute finish. The crucial moment was when Liverpool was awarded a free kick. It was most likely going to be the last opportunity for the Reds to win the game before it finished. The stress, pressure and adrenaline would have surely eaten at any other player but Gerrard shines under pressure. He took a few moments to orientate himself and then he hammered that ball into the back of the net in no time. Giving the Liverpool fans the success story they were pining for.
As if on a rollercoaster of success, the very next year in 2008 was when Gerrard scored an amazing goal against Newcastle. As always, Gerrard performed with absolute style, grace and precision. With the stadium roaring with spectators, most players would have found it hard to concentrate on the game but Gerrard was laser-focussed. It was the opening goal of a game that Liverpool was going to dominate and win 3 goals to 0. Gerrard positioned and angled his body perfectly to score a goal more than 25 yards out with venom and power. Even hot-shot players known for scoring excellent goals for Liverpool, like Owen, stood in awe of what Gerrard had accomplished.
A mere year later, Gerrard did it again, this time against a fierce competitor, Real Madrid. The Spaniards are known for their finesses, style, speed and precision for which they play but in a game in 2009 they stood no chance against the greats led by Gerrard. It was his second goal of the night and even better than the first. An instinctive reaction close to the net allowed Gerrard to get in between the defenders and the goalkeeper and score a rocket of a goal. Real Madrid’s famous goalkeeper and to be fair, a great one named Casillas, did not even manage to get anywhere near the goal before it hit the back of the net. Typical to what would be known as Gerrard’s fashion of play, rocket-like and instinctive.
Final Thoughts
To go back in time and experience any of those 5 games live would be an honour that many Liverpool fans would pay an arm and a leg to go watch again. The way that Gerrard grew within the team, made it to captain, championed both himself and his team equally and never let the fame and success get to his head is why he deserves to forever be known as one of the Red Legends.
