Steven Gerrard is one of Liverpool's greatest-ever players and his fierce supporter father was furious with him for wearing a Manchester United shirt as a child
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Steven Gerrard of Liverpool is shown the red card by referee Martin Atkinson during the Barclays Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield
Steven Gerrard wore a Manchester United shirt in his youth(Image: John Powell, Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Steven Gerrard revealed the moment his father scolded him for donning a Manchester United shirt.
Despite becoming an Anfield icon and dedicating almost his entire career to Liverpool, Gerrard's early years saw him unwittingly commit what many fans would consider sacrilege due to the intense rivalry with United. In an excerpt from his autobiography, the former Liverpool skipper recounted how his admiration for Bryan Robson led to a telling-off from his dad after being caught wearing the Red Devils' colours during a game with friends.
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Gerrard wrote (via the Mirror): "A mate of mine owned this Robson top, the old blue and white one with dashes on it. We were kicking about on Ironside and I asked him whether I could be Robson for a while.
"I slipped out of my Liverpool shirt, and put the Robson one on. It felt fantastic. I wore it for an hour, charging all over, flying into tackles, scoring brave goals, pretending I was Robson."
But the excitement was short-lived as his father's discovery of the jersey swap led to an immediate lambasting. He added: "Unfortunately, dad looked out the window and went ballistic. 'Get inside now!' he screamed. Scarcely through the door, I ran into a right-good grilling.
"'What the hell are you playing at, wearing a Manchester United shirt?' he asked. 'But dad, it's Bryan Robson's shirt,' I explained. Dad couldn't have cared less. 'You should know better'.
"It was a United strip, and dad wasn't having any son of his dragging the Gerrard name through the Huyton gutter. What would the neighbours think? Honest to God, I thought I was going to have to move house.
Steven Gerrard of Liverpool in action during the LFC Foundation charity match at Anfield
Gerrard idolised Bryan Robson(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
"I was only a baby, but I was convinced dad would kick me out for putting on that United shirt." After nine years in the Liverpool academy, Gerrard signed his first professional contract with the club in 1998 - making his first-team debut as a late substitute during a 2-0 win over Blackburn Rovers at Anfield.
Over the next 17 years, Gerrard established himself as a legend on Merseyside, making 710 appearances across all competitions while being made club captain in October 2003. With two FA Cups, three League Cups, a Community Shield and a Champions League to his name, Gerrard parted ways with the club in 2015 to spend a year with LA Galaxy, retiring in the November of the following year.
At international level, he also made 114 appearances for England, despite failing to life a title with the nation. Since retiring as a player, Gerrard has ventured into management.
Manager coach Steven Gerrard from Al Ittifaq FC watches the game during the Roshn Saudi Pro League football match between Al Fayha v Al Ettifaq at Majmaah Sports City
Gerrard has had a number of managerial roles since retiring from playing
He began his coaching career with Liverpool's U18 and U19 teams before taking charge of Rangers in 2018. During his three-year stint with the Scottish club, he clinched the Scottish Premiership title in the 2020/21 season.
However, in November 2021, Gerrard made a return to the Premier League as the manager of Aston Villa. His first season saw the team finish in a disappointing 14th place.
After managing only two wins in the first 12 games of the following season, he was let go by the club. Most recently, Gerrard took up the reins at Saudi Pro League side Al-Effitaq, signing on in July 2023. However, he parted ways with the club by mutual consent in January this year and has not returned to management since.