Steven Gerrard: My Liverpool Story (10 page)

Jamie – a Great Player and Mentor

Jamie Redknapp had the body I wanted. I was a similar height to him and when I broke into the first team, I saw how he had the build of a top, top player and I wanted the same. I strived for a physique like his. He suffered a lot from injuries at Liverpool, but he scored a great goal here against Charlton at The Valley and I have tons of respect for him as a player and a person. He has always stayed in touch and I can count on Jamie to be honest with me. When we talk about football, it is not just a case of him giving me a pat on the back. We talk about what I, and the team, have done right and wrong.

Getting a Taste for the Champions League

The UEFA Cup was good to me as a player. I got to lift the trophy and I found out about what playing in Europe was all about. But as soon as you taste the Champions League, you never want to go back. I found the quality of the opposition and the speed of the games went up a notch from what I was used to. There was no hiding place. Sink or swim. You can have a couple of seasons at Liverpool under your belt and think you are doing well, but there is no time to sit back and take it in. There were always new challenges to confront and conquer. This is during a game against Borussia Dortmund in our first season in the competition in 2001–02, and I loved everything about the Champions League. I didn’t dare to dream at that point it would provide me with the best moment of my career.

Rising to the Physical Challenge

When I was starting out, I probably would have ended up in a heap next to the advertising hoardings at the side of the pitch following this tussle. I wasn’t timid, but I wasn’t strong enough for the cut and thrust of the Premier League. The physical demands on players these days are immense. Every game is a battle. I needed to get stronger in order to win these sorts of situations and then showcase the talent that I have. I’m shoulder to shoulder here with a Blackburn defender and, hopefully, I’m just about to get the better of him.

Finesse, Not Power

Where Jussi Jaaskelainen is concerned I have a lucky streak. I have scored more goals against him – seven – than against any other goalkeeper in my career. This one against Bolton was different from the sort of powered finish I normally produce. My finishing has improved with experience. When you find yourself in certain positions in front of goal, you are a little bit more calm and relaxed as opposed to when you first get into the team. Practising helps, but I have to be careful how long I stay behind after training because of the injuries I have had. It is about quality not quantity.

Celebrating with a Good Friend

I’m very rarely in touch with Michael Owen these days. I suppose that’s natural in a sense because he left Liverpool in 2004 to move to Real Madrid. I can totally understand why he made that switch. Real are one of the biggest clubs in the world, if not the biggest, and Michael was a success there even though he only spent one season at the Bernabeu. I have to be honest and say I was very surprised he chose to sign for Manchester United. Michael enjoyed legendary status at Liverpool, but that has been diluted now because of the move he made. Only Michael knows if he got that decision right.

Battling for Possession

This was when Chelsea started to become a really powerful force. They signed a lot of foreign players who had real quality and you knew when you faced them it was going to be a tough game and a physical battle like the one I’m having here with William Gallas. Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United were bigger and stronger than the other teams in the Premier League around this time which gives an insight into the quality and type of players they buy and also how much is at stake. I don’t think you’d get the neutrals saying Liverpool-Chelsea was a great game too often. They have always been attritional matches, with the teams cancelling each other out.

World Cup Dreams Torn Apart

Walking off, head down, with the Liverpool physio Dave Galley, I knew I would not be going to the World Cup with England in 2002. A concerned Gerard Houllier is behind me. We played Ipswich on the final day of the season and the injuries that had been affecting me towards the end of that campaign became too much.

I damaged my groin and the decision was taken the next day that I would undergo surgery, which meant a lay-off during the summer. I was gutted to miss out on going to such a big tournament, but if I had tried to cover up the problem I knew I wouldn’t have done myself – or the country – justice.

A Footballing Lesson

This picture is a rarity because it captures one of the five or six touches I managed to get against Barcelona in the Nou Camp! Even now I remember something really clearly from one of my first games there. One of us hoofed the ball into space up the pitch and Sammy Lee, who was part of Gerard Houllier’s backroom staff, shouted: ‘Good decision.’ Normally the thought of surrendering possession would be frowned upon by Liverpool coaches, but the reason it was a good decision was that it allowed us to breathe and get to the halfway line. That shout sticks in my head. Barcelona have a way of playing that is deep in their culture. When they are kids, they are embarrassed when they give the ball away and so you see them cherish possession. When you play against Barcelona it is usually a long night.