Although Liverpool have had a terrific first season under Arne Slot, they may forever be left wondering if it could not have been even better.
There’s little question that the Reds are one of the outstanding teams of 2024/25 across all of Europe. They really should have gone further in the Champions League.
That they didn’t was purely down to the excellence of PSG. Liverpool almost squeezed past the French champions, but in the end they were just slightly too good.
That they have since beaten Aston Villa and Arsenal en-route to the Champions League final underlines the quality Luis Enrique has at his disposal.
And while a focus on the team has been how Enrique has found success, PSG have also benefitted from a huge uptick in form from Ousmane Dembele. The forward is now the superstar of the Paris club.
It was Dembele who got the goal which sent the tie against Liverpool to penalties at Anfield and he also scored in the subsequent shootout. And after what the French forward has now revealed about himself, it’s clear just how much those goals will have meant to him.
Photo by Franco Arland/Getty Images
Photo by Franco Arland/Getty Images
Ousmane Dembele reveals Steven Gerrard admiration
Liverpool almost signed Dembele when he left Rennes way back in 2016. He would surely have been a hit with the Reds.
And according to the man himself, the move would have been extra significant for him.
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Speaking on the official France national team’s Instagram page, Dembele has admitted that he has been a childhood fan of Liverpool, with Reds icon Steven Gerrard joining Lionel Messi and David Beckham in his favourite three footballers of all-time.
“It’s Ousmane Dembele and I’m going to tell you my three favourite players,” says the 28-year-old.
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“Number one is Lionel Messi. I’m a fan of Barcelona, so Lionel Messi is a big legend. In number two, David Beckham, this is the first football jersey that I got. In number three, Steven Gerrard. I was a fan of Liverpool.”
With that, a roar of approval comes from off-screen. The camera then pans to a grinning Ibrahima Konate, who sounds his approval.
Adrien Rabiot is another who loves Gerrard, and the Marseille midfielder also nods his approval towards Dembele’s choice.
Dembele aiming to emulate Gerrard
With a Champions League final against Inter Milan on the cards later this month, Dembele is looking to become a champion of Europe for the first time.
The World Cup winner was only eight years old when his hero Gerrard lifted the trophy for Liverpool in Istanbul.
Now, 20 years on, Dembele has the chance to do the same and make PSG only the second French club ever to win the Champions League.
Should Dembele lead his team to glory, he could well become an overnight favourite to win this year’s Ballon d’Or.
If only he hadn’t invoked Gerrard that night at Anfield back in March.