With one more appearance left in Steven Gerrard’s incredible Liverpool career, reflecting on what the 34-year-old has achieved since his debut 17 years ago has been the order of the day.
READ MORE:
Liverpool Transfer News
(Image) Steven Gerrard’s special boots for final game at Anfield
Liverpool v Crystal Palace teams & starting XIs – Reds go with false 9 and recall Moreno
Whatever happens in the game against Stoke, the former England skipper will go down as one of our greatest players. His legacy has become the yardstick for which all future players that pull on the famous red shirt will be judged.
In tribute to the departing hero, here is a breakdown of his career:
709 – Games for Liverpool
Only Ian Callaghan and former teammate Jamie Carragher have made more appearances wearing the famous shirt than Steven Gerrard. The midfielder has appeared 709 times, with over 500 of those games coming in the Premier League.
472 – Games as Liverpool captain
Despite being just 23, and former captain Sami Hyypia still being at the club, Steven Gerrard was handed the armband in October 2003. Since then, he has made 472 appearances as our skipper – the most of any captain in our history. He is 55 games clear of Ron Yeats – our legendary leader during the golden years of the 1960s – who also spent some of the later days in his career in Los Angeles. He is also 135 games ahead of Emlyn Hughes, who helped turn us into one of the most dominant sides in the decade after Yeats’ era.
372 – Wins for Liverpool
Judging by the way that Gerrard has conducted himself in the past 17 years, the number of wins that he has achieved throughout his career will pale into insignificance in comparison with this final game. The will to win has inspired everyone associated with the club down the years, and the number eight has dragged us almost single-handedly across the line on numerous occasions.
119 – Premier League goals
His equaliser against Chelsea was his 119th goal in the Premier League, moving him clear of former striker Michael Owen’s total of 118. There is no shame in saying that he still remains second in the list, when the person in front of him is the legendary Robbie Fowler, who scored 128 times in two spells.
104 – Goals at Anfield
His incredible total of 104 goals makes him the joint-sixth top marksman in Anfield history. Unsurprisingly, he is in great company in the top ten that reads like a Liverpool hall of fame. Kenny Dalglish is the man that currently has the same amount of goals, with Robbie Fowler one place ahead of them both. Ian Rush currently sits in top spot, having found the back of an Anfield net 185 times, with Roger Hunt in second with 173 goals.
30 – Champions League goals
While the two goals against Olympiacos and AC Milan in 2004/05 will stand out in particular, Gerrard has scored 30 times in the Champions League. His total by far the best since the competition began in the 1990s, with Dirk Kuyt – the man in second place – 18 strikes behind.
47 – Penalties scored
While he may have missed his last effort from twelve yards against Queens Park Rangers (which we can forgive him for, as he scored the winner not long after) he has converted a staggering 47 of the penalties he has taken – another Liverpool record. He is five clear of Jan Molby, and nine clear of Phil Neal.
10 – Number of trophies he has won
As well as an unbelievable haul of individual awards, Steven Gerrard has been a part of ten trophy winning sides, many of which came while he led the side. His first piece of silverware was the 2001 League Cup, when we defeated a defiant Birmingham side on penalties. The League Cup was the first of three honours won that season alone, with the FA Cup and UEFA Cup both being won in equally dramatic circumstances.
It was in the FA Cup final five years after that first win where he put on one of his finest performances. His two goals against West Ham – including that stoppage time stunner – bought us back from the brink, before Pepe Reina became the hero in the shootout.
Coincidentally, in an equally Gerrard-esque performance, the previous year’s Champions League final had taken a similar form. At 3-0 down he inspired our scintillating comeback, before Jerzy Dudek’s display during the spot-kicks clinched our fifth European Cup.
Coming full circle, his final trophy came in the League Cup three years ago, in another victory on penalties – this time against Cardiff City.
While the Premier League title may have alluded him, he can still boast a more impressive trophy haul than most. A true legend.