Thursday 14 May 2015 12:29, UK
Former Aston Villa and Norwich boss Paul Lambert reckons Liverpool will find it hard to replace Steven Gerrard.
The Liverpool skipper will play his last competitive match at Anfield on Saturday against Crystal Palace, before bowing out of the Premier League when the Reds travel to Stoke on May 24.
Gerrard, who will turn 35 at the end of May, is likely to see out the remainder of his playing career in the United States with LA Galaxy after signing an 18 month contract with the MLS club.
And ex-Celtic midfielder Lambert believes Gerrard, who scored his 185th goal for Liverpool at Chelsea last weekend, is a world-class player.
"I don’t think there is any doubt whatsoever on that front,” Lambert told The Morning View on Sky Sports News HQ.
"I think the way he’s galvanised Liverpool when they look like they’re going to get beat or lose a big game.
"But I think you get that with big players and big captains, and he seems to have done it time and time again.
"The thing I really like about him, and I don’t really know the lad that well, is he seems really humble about everything he’s won. And you find that with top players that they are very humble when they win things. And he seems to be like that, but a world-class player."
Gerrard’s decision to leave Liverpool after 17 years in the first-team took some people by surprise, but Rotherham manager Steve Evans expects Gerrard to return to Anfield when his contract at LA Galaxy expires.
"It would not be Liverpool Football Club’s decision it would have been Steven’s decision to move on," Evans told Sky Sports News HQ.
“I’ve met him on four or five occasions, as Paul says he’s a very humble guy, but he’ll be back at Liverpool.
“He’s going off to finish his playing career in the US, but he’ll be back in some capacity, either coaching or maybe a manager of Liverpool. I think most people in the game are thinking that.”
Watch Steven Gerrard bid farewell to Anfield as Liverpool take on Crystal Palace, Sky Sports 1, Saturday at 5pm
