Steven Gerrard: My Liverpool Story (23 page)

In the first training sessions after he arrived, I recognised that his movement was very similar to that of Michael Owen. I thought to myself that I used to love playing with Michael and quickly came round to thinking my initial doubts had been stupid.

Torres was like Michael, but with more power. Sometimes if you played a difficult ball to Michael, the defenders were too big for him and they would win it back. Torres would make bad balls look good. That is how strong and powerful he was. He was a nightmare for defenders, but an absolute dream for me. I used to sit next to him in the dressing room because the pegs for our squad numbers – 8 and 9 – were next to each other and we’d talk like team-mates do.

I wouldn’t say we were overly close. Torres is a really quiet person, although it would be wrong to call him a loner. He was comfortable with the Spanish lads we had in the team like Pepe, Xabi and Alvaro Arbeloa, and the South Americans like Javier Mascherano, but we had a mutual respect of each other and we worked out pretty quickly that we needed one another to shine. He knew that if he made a good run, I would find him, but he also helped to make me become a more potent player as well.

I owe Rafa Benitez a great deal for my development as a player. When Rafa was appointed I had played right-back, and I had also played on the right of midfield from time to time, but I was essentially a box-to-box central midfielder. Rafa helped to make me a more disciplined midfielder and taught me how to time my runs better, which helped me get more goals.

When I went onto the right flank, although I didn’t feel totally comfortable out there, he helped me become a good player there as well. I realised about the sacrifices you make for the team because at that point Liverpool were better setting up with two holding midfielders and, without sounding big-headed, I was enjoying a spell where not being in the middle did not unduly affect the level of my performances.

After that, Rafa helped me become a ‘No.10’ – someone who plays behind the striker – which I didn’t think I even had in my armoury. I think the key to my success in that position was Torres. I always need to play with someone who can run in behind defences.

I played the odd game there with Dirk Kuyt and Peter Crouch, but that was different. I was the one who had to run in behind and I had to try and get their flick-ons. It wasn’t the same. Torres would stretch defences, wreaking all manner of havoc, and that gave me space to exploit as well. Together we scored 111 goals in 117 games. Prolific.

The only downside was that we didn’t win anything together. My boyhood club is Liverpool. Torres’ boyhood club is Atletico Madrid. He left there in search of trophies and though we reached the semi-finals of competitions, we fell short.

It became obvious that he wasn’t happy at Liverpool, but his departure in 2011 still hit me hard. Very hard. Every player is entitled to do what they want to do in their career. I don’t own anyone else’s career and I can’t make decisions for them. But when you love playing with someone and you have a player alongside you of Torres’ calibre, then you cannot help but feel sorry for yourself and the fans who adored him. You wonder where the club is going if the best players want to leave, but I didn’t feel let down by Liverpool.

There was nothing they could do to prevent him from leaving for Chelsea. His mind was set, but they made it as hard as they could for the £50m deal to happen.

In the days before the transfer, Torres came to see me as captain. He said he wanted to leave, but added that the club was being difficult. ‘Listen,’ I said. ‘You have to understand that you are a top player and they don’t want to let you go.’ It didn’t matter. He asked if I could speak to Kenny Dalglish, our manager, on his behalf. That put me in a difficult situation because I didn’t want to help Fernando. I didn’t want to tell the manager that the star player wanted to go because, at that point, I wanted the deal to fall through. I wanted Chelsea’s interest to go away and for his enthusiasm to be rekindled. We had just signed Luis Suarez from Ajax for £22m. Money was available. We were trying to compete for silverware.

Fernando had told Kenny himself, but, with the club still playing hardball, he asked me to speak as well. I just told Kenny he was unhappy and left it at that. That is the role of the captain that people don’t see and that I never want to experience again. You don’t want your best player to come to you and say, ‘I’ve had enough. I want to go to another club. And I want to go to one of your major rivals.’

When Fernando approached me and said he wanted out, it was like a knife to the heart.

“Torres would make bad balls look good. That is how strong he was.”

Another Footballing Temple

I have scored seven career goals against Newcastle, a tally bettered only by my record against Aston Villa. St James’ Park – it will always be known as that for me – is a great stadium. The fans are proper football supporters. If the club is going through a hard time, they still turn out in their droves. I’m glad they are in the Premier League and doing well.

Equalling Owen’s Record

I don’t really compare myself to the likes of Michael Owen and Ian Rush where goal records are concerned because I have probably played in more games than them, or scored against weaker opposition.

Of course, it is flattering to hold records at Liverpool. Here a penalty against FC Porto allows me to match Michael’s tally of 22 European goals for Liverpool. I would go on to set a new record a few weeks later when I scored against Marseille, scrambling home a loose ball after Steve Mandanda had saved my initial penalty.

Stevie on the Spot

Keeping my nerve from the penalty spot became a feature of our run in the Champions League that season. We played Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the competition and after a 1–1 draw at The Emirates we fought out an enthralling battle at Anfield. When Emmanuel Adebayor made it 2–2 on the night, 3–3 on aggregate, with six minutes left we were staring at elimination. Ryan Babel earned a penalty straight away and it was up to me to dispatch the chance and reassert our authority. The pressure was on. All I could do was pick my spot and hope. Although Manuel Almunia went the right way, the penalty was too precise for him.

A Kiss for Good Luck

The Champions League in 2007–08 was nerve-shredding. We almost went out in the group stages, but clambered off the canvas, scoring 16 goals as we won our last three matches to qualify.

Then we played Inter Milan followed by Arsenal to set up another showdown with Chelsea. After beating them twice before in semi-finals, we were aiming to maintain our lucky streak.

Flying High, but Soon Grounded

We had conceded an advantage at Anfield when John Arne Riise scored a last-minute own goal to allow Chelsea to leave Merseyside with a 1–1 draw. It was a physical battle at Stamford Bridge, one that ebbed into extra time after Fernando Torres had cancelled out Didier Drogba’s goal in normal time. But it wasn’t to be our year. Chelsea prevailed before losing to Manchester United in the final in Moscow.

Collector’s Item

You won’t often see me taking a throw-in for Liverpool. Not unless we are in a rush, desperately trying to get a goal, or I’ve been tackled by the touchline and I can see a team-mate in space. I am usually stationed in the centre of the pitch so a lot of the throw-ins are taken by the full-backs. When Fabio Capello was England manager, he would hate players simply throwing the ball down the line where a rival could challenge for it. Capello wanted throw-ins taken to a team-mate, and for possession to be kept. It sounds nit-picking, but it makes sense.