Thank you & farewell Steven Gerrard

Steven Gerrard's Liverpool career in stickers

In 1998, a fresh-faced Steven Gerrard walked into a barber's shop as a promising Liverpool youngster and asked for a short back and sides.
And, as these Merlin Premier League stickers chronicling Gerrard's career will attest, nothing has changed in the subsequent years.

Number two in the barber's chair, number one in the heart of modern-day Liverpool fans.



First senior steps - 1998-99
When Steven Gerrard replaced Vegard Heggem with a minute to go of a 2-0 victory over Blackburn on 29 November 1998, few Liverpudlians could have predicted the future the fresh-faced 18-year-old would have.

The breakthrough - 1999-2000
Arsenal legend Thierry Henry quizzed Patrick Vieira on their way down the Anfield tunnel after a defeat: "Who was that kid in midfield?" Gerrard was shown his first red card against Everton and netted his first goal against Sheffield Wednesday.

Goals and trophies arrive - 2000-2001
Gerrard, who was given the number 17 shirt having previously worn 28, was named the Professional Footballers' Association's Young Player of the Year, PFA Fans' Player of the Year, was chosen in the PFA Team of the Year and won the FA Cup, League Cup and Uefa Cup.

International calibre - 2001-02
The Whiston-born player won the Uefa Super Cup as Liverpool finished runners-up domestically for the first time in over a decade and his England career took off as he scored the second goal in a 5-1 win over Germany.

The armband - 2002-03
As Sami Hyypia struggled for form, Gerrard took on the club captaincy. "Now he is 23 and he is ready, there has been a maturing in his game and his personality," said Gerard Houllier, then the Liverpool boss.

First sign of doubt - 2003-04
"For the first time in my career I've thought about the possibility of moving on," said Gerrard at the end of the season as Rafael Benitez moved into Anfield and Chelsea tried to lure the midfielder to Stamford Bridge.

One night in Istanbul - 2004-05
Gerrard lifted the most famous trophy in club football to conclude one of the most dramatic nights in Liverpool's history, was named Uefa Club Footballer of the Year yet still came close to leaving Anfield.

The Gerrard final - 2005-06
Gerrard's last-minute 30-yard strike to force extra time against West Ham in the FA Cup final will light up highlight reels for decades to come. Gerrard, then 25, also became the first Liverpool player since John Barnes in 1988 to be voted the PFA Players' Player of the Year.

Champions League defeat - 2006-07
Gerrard experienced defeat in the Champions League final by AC Milan but Liverpool finished third in the Premier League as he made the fifth of his eight appearances in the PFA Team of the Year.

Partnering Fernando - 2007-08
The Liverpool number eight found himself in a new role just off striker Fernando Torres and both players were nominated for the PFA Player of the Year award. Off the field, Gerrard became a Member of the Order of the British Empire.

A title chance - 2008-09
In his most prolific season Gerrard managed a first Premier League hat-trick in a win over Aston Villa in March 2009 and got closer to a league title than ever before - losing out by four points to Manchester United - as he won the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year.

Back to reality - 2009-10
After a summer in which a jury at Liverpool Crown Court found Gerrard not guilty of affray, Liverpool struggled as Benitez left at the end of the season, though their 29-year-old captain became one of just 13 men to pass 500 appearances for the club.

England captain to the operating table - 2010-11
In a season in which Gerrard captained his country, Liverpool's team needed surgery and so did he, with a groin problem ending his season in March as Liverpool swapped manager Roy Hodgson for Kenny Dalglish.

Hands back on trophies - 2011-12
After turning down a summer move to Bayern Munich, Gerrard lifted the club's first trophy in six years - the League Cup - and scored a hat-trick against local rivals Everton on his 400th Premier League appearance.

The foundation of a rebuild - 2012-13
New Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers got to work on re-building the club and Gerrard was at the centre of his work, playing 36 times in the league as the club finished seventh.

A title run, a costly slip - 2013-14
"It's probably been the worst three months of my life," Gerrard said after the slip which handed Demba Ba a Chelsea goal, Manchester City the initiative in the title race and ruined hopes of a first Liverpool title in 24 years.

The final chapter - 2014-15
His sending off after 38 seconds of coming on against Manchester United as a substitute in March 2015 was the behaviour of a man overcome by frustration, while his late winner to beat Queens Park Rangers in May was the act of a leader and match-winner Liverpool fans will never forget.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32739180

Quite simply the best player I've seen in the shirt and I'd guess many would say the same.

I like to remember the Gerrard from the Rafa era as this was when he was at the pinnacle of his game and at times was simply unplayable.

This. An awe inspiring force he was under Rafa who just knew what to do with him.

It's been a hell of a journey with Stevie. It will be such a poignant occasion tomorrow!

The way things are I reckon Stevie and Carra will be the last we see of long serving local Liverpool lads playing for our club. The two of them have served the club well and it is just a pity they did not get a league champions medal to show for their effort. Thank you Stevie and Carra for not only representing L.F.C. but the City of Liverpool as well  with 100 % dedication. You did us proud.

Welcome Back Billy.

May 16th. 2015.

Bittersweet .   A very special birthday for my wife and the last day Stevie plays at Anfield.


I cant add any more than to that which is already being said.

The end of an era.  With Carra gone it is finally the end of the Liverpool DNA present in the team.

A true Huyton Lad.


YNWA  Steven George Gerrard MBE .

A part of all of us leaves with you .

Most would have wanted Stevie to stay and be used as a sub or in certain games mate but Gerrard wasn't happy to do that and expected to still play every game.

His own decision.

I reckon a pay cut helped too

For me the best ever midfielder for LFC just ahead of Souness. Who was the benchmark for all midfielders.

Still think it's a shame he has not been managed properly by Rodgers, seeing a one time physical specimen being run and bypassed by mid table mediocrity was not right for a player of his stature and quality.

Maybe we will see him back again in some sort of official capacity.

As one of the older forum members I've seen literally hundreds of players come and go over the years, some didn't stay very long, some offered very little but occasionally we unearthed a superstar. 

Steven Gerrard was a bona fide Superstar.  Some will probably say he still is 

As much as it pains us all to see him leave, at least we had the privelige of watching him play in Liverpool Red for 18 years.  We saw him lift every Trophy available, apart from the one he and we really wanted.  We saw him win several of them single handedly.  We saw his joy at beating our biggest rivals and saw the pain he felt when we didn't. 

He is one of us, a fan of Liverpool Football Club.

Rather than being sad, I'll be celebrating his time with us, thanking him for everything we've achieved with him but most of all I'm grateful that I won't witness the final throws of decline as a player.  That would be too much to take.

Enjoy the day tomorrow Skipper, make us wish you weren't going and we'll see you back at Melwood when you join the coaching staff in 2017 

Hope be gets the reception he deserves tomorrow. What a player!

Well it's finally here, the day I've been dreading all season, Steven Gerrard's last walk out at Anfield as Captain of our great Liverpool Football Club, it only fully hit home to me this week, with all the talk and intervews he's been doing, I suppose i've been in denial all season, but now it's here and.....I'm not sure how I'll cope, to say it's going to be emotional is a massive understatement, there's going to be a mosiac on the Kop and I'm lucky enough to be a part of that, what a day to remember this will be...thanks for the memories Stevie and I have lots of them 

How is everyone going to cope with Gerrards last show?

Well we have the "Rodgers Out, Rafa In" plane crowd sharpening the knives for not being able to replace him.

We have the younger generation experiencing the pain of seeing a hero more or less retiring and experiencing that pain of knowing you will never see another of the kind.

And then you have the older generation who have seen it all before and feel they have seen the last of the true Legends.

Once Gerrard has gone, for me, the club will be without that heart. Nobody in this team has the quality to replace Gerrard. Nobody in this team has the commitment to go that extra mile for the club, and nobody is willing to step up when it matters.

Gerrard has been taken for granted for so long, but one thing EVERYBODY will realise after today's match is this, there will be nobody in that dressing room to say "hey, we are here for Liverpool", our heart will truly stop beating. I have seen the players this season, I have seen and heard the supporters, however one thing is a fact, when Gerrard finishes that 90+ minutes the Liverpool heart will have gone, and then will begin an even worse period in this clubs history.....

A club without a heart.

Gerrard leaving will hit us harder than most realise. We are saying goodbye to a true legend, we are saying goodbye to the last of what made this club great.

And the palace match, win or lose, will be the saddest match I will have ever seen.

Knew this was coming for a few months but no way am I ready for this.

Going to be emotional.

Best player to have ever donned the shirt of Liverpool FC, IMHO.

Enjoy your day Mr Gerrard.

YNWA

Everything that is there to be said has been said about this man, the only thing I can add is you played a major role in me supporting Liverpool and thanks Captain for I now support the best club in the world. I am going to miss you, whenever things were not going according to plan, I would whisper "Cmon Stevie, save us" and you did that plenty of time. In my lifetime, players like Torres and Suarez even Kuyt have given me some great memories but none will surpass those given by you. Have a great one Stevie and come back home soon.

Have a great one Stevie and come back home soon.

Yes, YNWA

Pmsl Mam just phoned in a tizz Stevie pulled a hamstring and hes out today , oh ay I said where you hear /see that :::Answer I saw it on f/book  just a rumour mam calm down , bless her .

Was there when he came on as a sub against Blackburn, can't be there today. Thank you Stevie for everything, a hattrick will do just the trick

Not looking forward to saying farewell to Stevie today, but hopefully it is just au revoir!
Cannot imagine what this football club will be like without him, I know no player is bigger than the Club, but Steven Gerrard is closer than anyone to that. I've got loads of tissues, will need them, and more, I think the pitch will be flooded with the tears from thousands of fans.
Thank you Steven, a true legend, good luck to you and your family. The song for today is surely 'We'll meet again' after 'YNWA'.

I've been dreading this day since Stevie announced his departure, today we will all witness the final minutes of Stevie G in our shirt and in my opinion the best player our club has ever produced, we've had numerous world class individuals down the years from the sixties thru the seventies, eighties, nineties the noughties and until as recently as last season, but there are very few if any that can better Steven Gerrard, football as a whole has changed over the course of all those decades above so it's very difficult to compare like for like individuals who graced each era,

For me Stevie surpasses them all because I believe he could have played in any of those teams and would have stood out, the same can't be said of others and that's not being disrespectful,

I've got mixed feelings about today, on one hand I'm sad that we are losing Stevie and all that he has given over the years, on the other I'm so grateful I've witnessed one of the best players ever to grace the modern era and in particular Liverpool FC,
It has quite literally been a privilege to watch this man play the beautiful game, the use of the word legend gets banded about to freely these days imo, but you certainly can use it to describe Stevie G,

Thanks for all those wonderful memories Stevie, memories that will be spoke about in years to come, our fathers and grandfathers today speak of players such as Di Stefano, Eusabio, Pele, and many many other true legends to many to mention, that's how highly I rate Stevie Gerrard, simply world class.


Thank you Stevie,  You'll Never Walk Alone.

Going to be an emotional day.  A true, once in a lifetime legend and the embodiment of everything it is to be Liverpool. You will be missed. Thank you for the memories Stevie.

Nice to see a thread for a change where we are all just fans and getting along .
Goodbye to a legend hope you come back one day and make us rise again .

Now I feel I can say it.

Steven Gerrard - F***ing Legend!

For years I dreaded this moment gave me goosebumps every time I thought about it.

Not ready for it still am in bits allready with 4 hours to go.

Thanks for everything Stevie you'll never walk alone!

Gutted this day has come. Can't believe this his last home game. Shattered.

Score a Hat-trick Captain.