Steven Gerrard offered an honest verdict on how “tough” it can be to represent Liverpool, with it being much harder than anyone looking in realises.
Gerrard went from watching the Reds on the Kop to making 710 appearances and lifting the European Cup as captain for his boyhood club.
In a fascinating conversation with Virgil van Dijk and Graeme Souness, Liverpool’s greatest-ever player spoke candidly beyond the highlight reel of his career.
“It’s tough to play for Liverpool,” he admitted on LFCTV’s ‘Captains’.
“When you do interviews and you speak about all the good times, what people probably don’t understand or appreciate from the outside is that it’s tough to play for Liverpool as well.
“I mean, in terms of, not every day is great. Not playing on the pitch, I’m talking about the journey, the highs, the lows, the setbacks, the bumps.”
‘The crap days are worth going through’
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, April 27, 2014: Liverpool's captain Steven Gerrard looks dejected during the Premiership match against Chelsea against Chelsea at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, April 27, 2014: Liverpool's captain Steven Gerrard looks dejected during the Premiership match against Chelsea against Chelsea at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
For the majority of Gerrard’s career, Liverpool were the underdogs, and he acted as the driving force to move the club closer to what was once their perch.
He came agonisingly close to ending the title drought throughout his career, but he never realised the dream of the Reds being anything other than a challenger.
“I played in a team where we were always chasing probably the best team in the league, or the two best teams in the league,” the former No. 8 reflected.
“If you think of Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal team, Fergie’s Man United. Further down the line, Chelsea would come into that with the Abramovich and Mourinho; City coming into it.”
The relentless drive to end the wait concluded in heartbreaking fashion in 2013/14 after Liverpool failed to decide their own destiny and pick up seven points from their last three games.
“One of the lowest feelings I had was when we got close, and we couldn’t make it happen in 2013/14,” he solemnly reflected.
More than a decade on from his Liverpool career ending, however, Gerrard’s perspective on the struggles he experienced has been cast into a new light.
“What I appreciate more now, looking back at the good times, is you know the crap days, the tough days, they are worth going through for the good times and the big moments,” he said.
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