STEVEN GERRARD'S DAYS IN LIVERPOOL

STEVEN GERRARD-YOUTH TEAM IN LIVERPOOL
WELL,STEVEN GERRARD...HMMMM....ALOT OF THINGS TO BE SAID ABOUT THIS GLORIOUS PLAYER...SUPER TALENTED IN ALL HIS PERFORMANCES IN LIVERPOOL.A PLAYER THAT CAN ALWAYS BE COUNTED ON IF IN NEED OF ANY URGENT IMPACT DURING ANY CONTROVERSIAL MOMENTS IN FOOTBALL GAMES.THE AVERAGE LIFETIME OF A PLAYER AT A GIVEN CLUB IS AROUND 4 YEARS,AFTER WHICH HE NEEDS TO MOVE ON,EITHER DUE TO ENTERING A STAGE OF SELF SUFFICIENCY AT THAT CLUB,LOSING THE FIRST SQUAD SIMPLY WANTING A NEW CHALLENGE OR GOING FOR A HIGHER SALARY.THERE ARE FEW EXPECTATIONS WHEN IT COMES TO STABILITY AND HAVING A CONSERVATIVE NATURE,THE ENGLISH EXCEL.THIS IS HOW IT WAS POSSIBLE FOR A PLAYER LIKE STEVEN GERRARD TO ALREADY HAVE SO MANY YEARS UNDER HIS BELT AT LIVERPOOL,SINCE HE STARTED PLAYING FOR THE YOUTH TEAMS OF THE REDS IN 1989,AT 9 YEARS OF AGE.THE CHILDHOOD YEARS WERE NOT THE PROMISING THOUGH,AS HE WOULD RARELY PLAY FOR THE LIVERPOOL YOUTH SQUAD,HAVING PROBLEMS WITH LATE GROWTH SPURTS UNTIL HE WAS 14.ALTHOUGH STILL CONSIDERED A VERY TALENTED PLAYER THAT COULD BECOME AN OPTION FOR THE LIVERPOOL FIRST SQUAD IN A FEW YEARS,STEVIE WAS ALLOWED TO TRIAL FOR VARIOUS OTHER CLUBS IN ENGLAND.AS HE NOTED IN HIS RECENT AUTOBIOGRAPHY,THIS WAS TO FORCE LIVERPOOL INTO OFFERING HIM AN YTS(YOUTH TRAINING SCHEME)CONTRACT.HE ALSO HAD AN INCIDENT AT HOME THAT ALMOST STOPPED HIM FROM PLAYING SOCCER,BEING CLOSE TO LOSING A TOE TO A GARDEN FORK.FINALLY,IN 1997,AT AGE 17,STEVEN GERRARD WAS GIVEN A PROFESSIONAL CONTRACT FROM LIVERPOOL AND SAW HIS DREAM COME TRUE



STEVEN GERRARD-FIRST TEAM IN LFC
ALTHOUGH HE WOULD NOT GET A CHANCE TO PLAY IN HIS FIRST SEASON WITH THE SENIOR SQUAD,IT WAS A GOOD YEAR FOR STEVIE GERRARD IN THAT HE STARTED TO FIT IN THE TEAM,KNOW HIS FUTURE TEAMMATES AND GET SOEM TACTICAL TRAINING.HIS DEBUT WAS TO COME THE NEXT YEAR IN A MATCH AGAINTS BLACKBURN,AS A SECOND HALF SUBSITUTE FOR VEGGARD HEGGEM.FUNNILY ENOUGH HIS FIRST START DIDNT COME IN AN EASIER PREMIERSHIP GAME,AS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EXPECTED,BUT IN A TOUGH UEFA CUP MATCH AGAINTS SPANISH TEAM,CELTA VIGO,IN WHICH STEVEN GERRARD DIDNT NECESSARILY SHINE OUT,BUT WAS A SAFE OPTION IN MIDFIELD.HIS LUCK CAME AT THE EXPENSES OF TEAMMATE JAMIE REDKNAPP'S AS THE LATTER SUFFERED A LONG-TERM INJURY THAT WILL ALLOW GERRARD TO START IN THE FOLLWOING13 MATCHES FOR LIVERPOOL AND EVENTUALLY WIN A FIRST TEAM PLACE.EVEN AFTER THE EXPERIENCED REDKNAPP CAME BACK FROM INJURY,MANAGER GERRARD HOULIER FOUND A PLACE FOR BOTH JAMIE AND STEVEN IN MIDFIELD



STEVEN GERRARD-REDS CAPTAIN
BY 2004,STEVEN GERRARD ALREADY BECAME AN IMPORTANT PLAYER FOR LIVERPOOL AND ENGLAND'S NATIONAL TEAM,BUT HIS CLUB'S SUCCESS WAS NOT THE KIND THAT THE FANS EXPECTED.WITH MASSIVE CHANGES IN THE SQUAD,AS WELL AS ON THE BENCH,GERRARD HOULIER BEING REPLACED WITH RAFAEL BENITEZ ,STEVEN GERRARD WAS NAMED CAPTAIN AND THE NEW COACH STARTED BUILDING THE TEAM AROUND THE POWERFUL MIDFIELDER.DESPITE BEING VIEWED AS A RATHER DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER,A STRINGOF STEVEN GERRARD GOALS CONVINCED EVERYONE THAT HE WAS THE TYPE OF COMPLETE FOOTBALLER THAT COULD PLAY IN ANY FIELD POSITION HIS COACH WOULD NEED HIM