My Liverpool story is a sad one to some
extent. When I started following the club, Liverpool had already lifted the
Champions League trophy at Istanbul. Or should I say, Steven Gerrard had
already inspired Liverpool to one of the greatest comeback the tournament will
ever see. And to probably the greatest moment yet for any Liverpool fan.
But I knew the story of Istanbul (had watched
the adrenaline filled video 100 times) and had always looked up to him as a
great captain, player, a family man. He was always my hero. I always looked at
his family and admired him for the man he is and he has a dream family.
For me it was always an “almost” perfect story.
His passion and adrenaline during the big games always rushed thru my blood and
I was always hoped that I will see a game that I will never forget in my life.
I will never forget the free-kick he scored against United during the 2010 game
which we lost 2-3. Stevie puts us back in the game twice: the perfect game was
almost there, only to lose it in the end. But that was another hint of a
Vintage Steven Gerrard.
Since then though I saw him doing his usual
“peach pass” in many games, but best of the memories were in 2013-2014 season
when he made so many goals for Suarez and Sturridge. And that game against
Manchester City when we grabbed the winner with Coutinho goal. Stevie was all
pumped up to tell his team, we won’t let it go this time. I was pumped up too
and almost could not sleep many nights in anxiety. That was the one of the best
games of my life as a Liverpool fan.
I was waiting for my incomplete footballing story
to get its perfect end. It ended in a manner none of us ever anticipated and
left me with a grave feeling: something I would never be able to heal myself
with. Now imagine what he would be going thru each day of his remaining life.
Having said that, no serious fan would ever
blame him for us not winning the league. I would say it was yet another example
of Steven Gerrard not getting his hand on that elusive trophy thanks to some
mediocre team performance during the big games. I felt sad for him. I felt sad
for myself.
But as Stevie himself says: he we go again.
And how he almost re-created the Olympiakos during the Basel game is
unbelievable. Well they say, sometimes it doesn’t happen twice. Golden moments
are not repeated. I missed it in 2005, but my admiration for this man never
will be reduced. And who says every story has to end perfectly. Some people
leave a mark on your life irrespective. It’s never about the trophies in the
cabinet, but about the Man on the Field.
If trophies were the criteria, he could have moved to Chelsea
or Madrid long back. He chose to remain as a Loyal and Liverpool city’s most
favourite son.
The news that Steven Gerrard will leave
Liverpool football club at the end of 2014-2015 season might have come as a
surprising but yet an inevitable one for many in the football fraternity, but
it is still something that millions of Liverpool Faithfull are still recovering
from.
This is not because Steven Gerrard is at the
peak of his career or was part of Liverpool’s regular line up week in week out,
nor because we were not contemplating something similar after he was left on
bench for so many matches including on his 16 year anniversary appearance for
Liverpool. But it’s because since his debut for Liverpool 16 years ago, he has
been a star born for Liverpool football club.
It’s only fair to say that all Liverpool
success during these 16 years came with Gerrard’s crucial contributions: he
scored when Liverpool beat Alaves in 2001 UEFA cup final, in the league cup
final against Manchester United in 2003, in the FA Cup final and who can forget
his thriller against Olympiakos in December 2004, which took
Liverpool out of group stages of Champions League final and then the first goal
against AC Milan in the unforgettable comeback win in the final.
It was heartening to see him almost re doing the act for
Liverpool during this year’s Champions League last group stage game against FC
Basel with his trademark free-kick. It was “almost” another Gerrard Speared
Breakthrough for Liverpool.
He will probably leave Liverpool with one regret: not winning
the Premier League with the club. But, what he did with generally a mediocre
Liverpool side (especially if you compare it with Dalglish times), for me, puts
him as one of the greatest player ever played and lead Liverpool FC.
Liverpool FC supporters and admirers always looked up to
Steven Gerrard as a midfielder who comes only second to Frank Lampard with
respect to number of goals from a midfielder in Premier League, as a leader who
lead the club to all the success they had in last 16 years, as one of the rare
loyal footballer who served his club with same passion for more than a decade in
spite of all the opportunities from different club.
His shoes will not be filled ever at Liverpool FC. He gave me some of the best moments to live
with.
Thank you Steven Gerrard for the man you are.
No comments:
Post a Comment