Gerrard, Steven George (1980– )

English footballer. A ball-winning central midfielder, known for his attacking forward runs and his spectacular long-range strikes, he has spent his entire club career at Liverpool, and helped the team win the European Cup in 2005. After progressing through the youth ranks, he made his first team debut in November 1998. He helped the team win the FA Cup in 2001 and 2006, the League Cup in 2001 and 2003, and the UEFA Cup in 2001. He made his international debut in 2000 and has represented his country in the 2004 European Championships and the 2006 World Cup. In 2001 he was voted the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Young Player of the Year and he won the PFA's top honour, the Player of the Year, in 2006.

Career highlights

International appearances (2000– ) 67 (13 goals)

European Cup 2005

UEFA Cup 2001

English League Cup 2001, 2003

English FA Cup 2001, 2006

Awards

Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year 2001

Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year 2006

European Cup Most Valuable Player 2005

An inspirational captain for his club, his finest moments came during the 2004–05 season when his injury-time goal kept Liverpool in the European Cup, which they then went on to win; Gerrard also scored in the final, sparking his team's comeback victory as they trailed 3–0, and he was voted the competition's Most Valuable Player. He scored twice in Liverpool's 2006 FA Cup final win, including an injury-time goal from 35 yards that took the game into extra time. With those goals, he has scored in all four major domestic and European cup finals (League Cup, FA Cup, UEFA Cup, and European Cup). His most memorable international goal was his first, scoring from outside the box as England won 5–1 in Germany in September 2001. In 2007 he led Liverpool to their second European Cup final in three years, but they lost 2–1 to AC Milan in a repeat of the 2005 final.

In July 2005 Gerrard announced publicly that he wanted to leave Liverpool and he was thought to be on the verge of a transfer to Chelsea. However, he changed his mind the following day and pledged his future to his hometown club.