Former AC Milan midfielder Andrea Pirlo has revealed that Carlo Ancelotti once tried to sign Steven Gerrard to play alongside him. The move came in 2007, shortly after Milan’s Champions League triumph over Liverpool.
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Pirlo explains that Ancelotti consulted him over the potential transfer and that they agreed that it was something worth pursuing. However, they soon found that Gerrard was completely committed to his boyhood club and that there would be no way of temping him to leave.
In quotes taken by the Daily Mail, the now Juventus midfielder explained: “Carlo (Ancelotti) was like a father to me. We used to, and still do speak a lot.
“While at Milan he came to me and said ‘I want to sign Steven Gerrard to play next to you in midfield – what do you think?’ Without any hesitation I told him ‘do it – go and sign him’. At this stage he was probably the most complete midfield player in Europe, of course I wanted to partner him.
“I remember asking Carlo a few weeks later how it was going, and he told me Gerrard had given a very firm no, that his bond with Liverpool was unbreakable. At the time Milan were the champions of Europe and probably had the best team in the world – it says a lot about Gerrard’s loyalty.”
Despite missing out on the chance of playing with Gerrard, Pirlo has enjoyed a truly wonderful career, winning four consecutive league titles and two domestic cups since his move to Turin. This season, his side have reached the Champions League final, meaning he could win his third European title shortly after his 36th birthday.
In contrast, Gerrard has just a League Cup winners’ medal to show for his ongoing commitment to Liverpool since that date. He joins LA Galaxy this summer, ending his 17-year spell with the Reds’ first-team.
Thankfully, our iconic midfielder still has a fair share of success to boast about. He famously guided us to victory against Pirlo’s Milan in the 2005 Champions League final, in which the Italian saw his penalty saved by Jerzy Dudek.
Pirlo’s even been linked to Liverpool (via the Telegraph) to replace our departing captain, and we’d love to see it happen.