When any young player makes his debut for the first team, hopes are always high that the match will be the start of a fruitful career in football. Their debut gives particular satisfaction to scouts, coaches and management—especially if the player is a local kid who has fought his way through the maze-like academy system.
If the young starlet then goes on eventually to lead the side to a European Cup win, and also to become captain of his country, it can seem like a far-fetched Hollywood script.
The 2014-15 season sees one such player bring his English Premier League career to a close—and Liverpool fans around the world will be hoping that his final act at the club will be to lift the FA Cup.
Steven Gerrard first pulled on a senior Liverpool jersey in 1998 against Blackburn Rovers, having joined the club at the age of nine. He was named captain in 2003—his greatest moment was undoubtedly inspiring his side to an incredible second-half comeback in the UEFA Champions League Final in 2005. Sadly for the Liverpudlian, he has never been able to add the English Premier League title to his glittering array of medals and international caps.
The closest he came to that honour was last season, when Liverpool finally looked set to regain the English crown. In the run-in to the title, Gerrard was the unfortunate victim of a slip helped hand Chelsea a victory at Anfield. This would ultimately prove damaging to the reds’ title challenge and they finished second to eventual champions Manchester City,
Perhaps brought on by haunting memories of that fateful slip, or perhaps a sign that he feels unable to continue to fully contribute in the hustle and bustle of the Premier League—whatever the reason: in January, Gerrard announced that he would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the 2014-15 season.
The thought of Gerrard no longer gracing the Anfield turf seems unimaginable. As one of the world’s most famous and successful clubs, Liverpool tickets sell out regularly and—despite not lifting the English title since 1990—Anfield remains one of football’s greatest theatres.
Such is his affinity with the Merseyside club and its supporters, he was unable to see himself playing in another English side’s colours, therefore it came as little surprise when he announced that the last years of his career would be played abroad. LA Galaxy is the red legend’s destination.
This year’s season in England ends with the FA Cup Final on 30th May—which just happens to also be Steven Gerrard’s birthday. If things go to plan in the FA Cup Semi-Final, it will be his last ever game in a Liverpool shirt. The narrative pens itself—will Gerrard be able to write a happy ending?
