Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard opened his heart about his memorable career in front of a packed house at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast on Monday night.
Called Steven Gerrard Live, and organised by the Soccer Speaker company, it was the first event of its kind with the legendary England star chatting frankly about his past, present and future at Anfield.
Throughout what proved to be a fascinating insight into spectacular highs and demoralising lows with Liverpool, over 2,000 Gerrard fans sang his name in support and then fell silent as he spoke about the biggest moments at the club he loved.
During that time he won nine trophies, most notably the 2005 Champions League in Istanbul
The 37-year-old revealed he chose Northern Ireland’s capital city as the first venue for the event because ‘Belfast has always been good to me’.
In conversation with LFC TV’s Peter McDowall, Gerrard talked about current Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, his relationship with some of the German’s predecessors, his new role as under-18 coach at Anfield and how the slip against Chelsea in 2014 when the Reds looked destined for title glory still haunts him
He also discussed Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho trying to sign him several times, the pain of leaving Liverpool for LA Galaxy and why he’d love to see Southampton defender Virgil Van Dijk move to Merseyside.
Here’s a selection of what the 37-year-old Liverpool legend said on Monday night.
Gerrard discussed his career in front of a packed house at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast
Steven Gerrard Live was organised by Soccer Speaker and covering a wide range of topics
Are you optimistic about Liverpool next season?
SG: I can’t wait for it. It’s a bit strange for me this year because not only am I very excited for Jurgen and his squad but I am going to manage the under-18s and hopefully over the next few years I can pass Jurgen some top players.
How was the job offered to you?
SG: When I was over in LA the club was on the phone to me quite a lot and were keen to get me back to talk to me about what I wanted to do next.
From a young age I always wanted to be a player but as my career progressed I started getting feelings for the leadership side of the game, I became captain of the team, I captained England as well and then naturally as I got older the dream started to become hopefully one day become a top coach.
I think the important thing at the moment is to be very patient. It’s a lot different to being a player. There’s a lot of learning to do and there is a lot of progressing to do before I’m ready to be a manager.
As well as his role as a youth coach with Liverpool, Gerrard is a pundit with BT Sport
Thoughts on Jurgen Klopp?
SG: He is a very demanding manager. I think he is different to all the other managers. What struck me first about Jurgen was the demands.
He is a manager who won’t do it any other way except his way. I think the players are playing for the most demanding manager in world football. There’s no negotiables when it comes down to hard work and running and winning your own individual battles. If you aren’t prepared to go in where it hurts for this manager you won’t be around for very long.
Gerrard has described Jurgen Klopp as being the most demanding manager in the world
You came through the ranks at Liverpool. Are you confident new stars can emerge?
SG: I’d never name individuals coming through in my team or below because it adds unnecessary pressure but over the next two or three years for sure Jurgen Klopp will be handed players who are ready.
When you play for Liverpool Football Club there is an endless list of world class players that you have to follow and emulate. That’s what young players have to realise now when they get passed up to Jurgen Klopp. There is a responsibility at this club to deliver on the big stage. You have to keep trying to get trophies to add to the wonderful history that has gone before but it’s not easy.
There is a demand from the supporters every game. You have to win. This is what I’ll be trying to install into the youth team players so they are ready when Jurgen wants to pick them.
Having come through the youth team himself, Gerrard is looking to inspire the next wave
Thoughts on Gerard Houllier who made you captain of Liverpool?
SG: Houllier and Phil Thompson were the two people who changed the culture of the club when they came in. All the drinking and nights out stopped and all kinds of things changed. He wanted to know every single thing that I was doing not just at Melwood or Anfield, but outside the club.
Before he made me captain he took me and my mum and dad for dinner. We turned up at this restaurant and he basically told my mum and dad what way he wanted me to live my life, what he wanted me to eat, how many times he wanted me in the gym and how much sleep I should be getting, he wanted me to sleep in the afternoon.
He basically ran my life from 19 to when he left. At the time I thought it was a bit harsh and a bit strict but I can only thank him for it now.
Gerrard believes former Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier 'ran his life' from the age of 19
The sold out event in Belfast saw Gerrard speak in front of a crowd of 2,000 fans
Gerrard admitted Jose Mourinho tried to sign him 'five or six times' during his career
Your feelings now on the speech to the Liverpool players on the pitch after the Man City game at Anfield in 2014 (Liverpool won 3-2 and post final whistle Gerrard, closing in on the club’s first title since 1990, brought his team-mates together to give a passionate speech about not letting it slip)
SG: I wish I could go back to that day. If I could rewind the clock that would be the day I would go back to and try and go the other way with a bit of calmness and a bit of realisation where we were at that time. It was passion, emotion and it was real and I felt in the moment we did need that but now in hindsight I would probably have gone a bit more calmer and realised who we still had to play.
We lost Jordan Henderson (in the City game) with a red card and we missed him (suspended) in the run in. That was a day I wish I could go back to.
The slip against Chelsea. What is it you want to say about the day? (With three games of the season left, Gerrard slipped against Chelsea at Anfield allowing Demba Ba to score in the first half. Jose Mourinho’s men went on to win 2-0 and Liverpool ended up as runners-up in the title race behind Manchester City).
SG: That was the most difficult day in my life and still is. No matter what happens to me to the day I die that will be the most difficult day of my life because it is difficult to erase it. It was a tough time.
To this day it still haunts me a bit, it still hurts. I’m the type of person that setbacks drive me on. I won’t give up trying to make up for that as long as I live. With the Chelsea one the reason I can’t accept it is because it was bad luck.
If I had given a pass away or tried a turn and got it wrong or scored an own goal I wouldn’t be able to live with myself or deal with it. When it is a stroke of bad luck I have to get on with it and try to make it amends for it.
Steven Gerrard's slip against Chelsea effectively cost Liverpool a chance to win the league
The former midfielder admits the slip is the most difficult day of his life to date
Can you talk about your decision to leave Liverpool?
SG: I was getting signals and messages that weren’t the same that I’d had for the previous 15 years or so. Brendan (Rodgers) called me in and said my game time was going to be less and less and I was going to become more of a squad player.
At the same time the club offered me a year extension and it was all performance and numbers related, stats if you like if you play a certain number of games, blah, blah, blah. It didn’t feel right to me. It was the first time a contract was along those lines. I was always conscious about going with the supporters wanting a bit more rather than overdoing it and going when you are not welcome.
What was it like in LA and wearing a different shirt?
SG: It felt strange. It didn’t feel right. I enjoyed my time in LA and it was really good for my family to come out of the goldfish bowl and away from the pressure. I felt if I was going to decide to step away from Liverpool I didn’t want to stay in the city or go to the games and watch the team straight away because it was still raw and painful to leave.
So, I thought the best thing for me was to go where nobody knew me. I wasn’t ready to stop playing because I still loved the game so I thought the perfect scenario was to go as far away as possible, enjoy my life and sort of heal from leaving the club.
Gerrard enjoyed his adventure with LA Galaxy but found it tough to walk away from Liverpool
Lots of speculation about Virgil Van Dijk going to Liverpool. Is he a player you would like to see at Liverpool?
SG: I’d love to see him in a red shirt. I’m a huge fan. I thought he was fantastic at Celtic and I thought we should have had a go for him back then. It will cost us a few more quid but I think he is a piece of the jigsaw that would be very welcome and very big for this team
How would you like to be remembered?
SB: It is not over yet. Definitely not over yet. For me I just want to be remembered as a local lad who achieved his dream and give the supporters everything I had in my body.
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