Friday 15 May 2015 17:22, UK
Ahead of Steven Gerrard’s final game at Anfield this weekend, we asked fellow Liverpool great Phil Thompson to select six of the best moments in the midfielder’s club career.
There were many Thommo reluctantly left out of his list, but here’s what the three-time European Cup winner has selected in order of his preference.
1. Debut v Blackburn, November 29, 1998
For me, the most memorable moment of his Liverpool career is his first appearance at Anfield, coming on as a sub. It was quite an emotional occasion, for me personally and for him. I was there standing behind him as he got his instructions from Gerard Houllier and I just remember thinking ‘what a moment for this young lad’. I know that feeling, as a local lad, coming on for your first appearance and trying to be calm and assured, yet you’re absolutely bubbling over with pride inside – it’s hard to top that feeling.
2. Lifting the Champions League on May 25, 2005
Many people will have that night in Istanbul as the main moment, the defining moment of Gerrard’s career, and that’s understandable, but it’s second on my list. His goal, which was the first of the three, was so important. It gave the team the impetus to start playing, but the belief that Liverpool could actually pull off the comeback came from the second goal by Vladimir Smicer. That’s when everyone thought, ‘my God, this could really be on’. But Stevie’s performance, even without the goal, was tremendous.
The equaliser from 30 yards in the dying seconds against West Ham – we all remember it – ‘The Gerrard Final’ as we now know it. He was crippled with cramp and where he found that strike from I don’t know. It was what Stevie is all about – refusing to take defeat, and saving his team against the odds when he could hardly walk, never mind run. It was an incredible strike and certainly one of his most memorable.
You could name so many games, performances and rescue acts – it’s been an astonishing career – but his goal against Olympiakos will live long in the memory. We had an awards night last week for the ex-players and we were saying, 'it’s hard to believe he’ll be one of us next season'. It was a very emotional night and there were some wonderful clips of Gerrard’s best moments, and this one got one of the best receptions. I can’t have Istanbul in this list without the strike against Olympiakos, because we’d never have won the European Cup for a fifth time without it.
His goal against Manchester United from about 25 yards in 2001 would have been so important to Gerrard and his career, I had to have it in here. He collects the ball and only takes two touches – Fabian Barthez was in goal – and it absolutely screamed past him at the Anfield Road end. What a goal, and to do that against one of your main competitors when you’re still a relatively young player at a club like Liverpool, it really took his career to another level.
Again, this was in 2001, but it was the following season at a time when he was going from strength to strength. I couldn’t have a goal against United and not have one against Everton too! It was an important equaliser in a game Liverpool went on to win, but the quality of the strike was so high. He went across the face of goal after taking it inside right, and drilled it past the keeper [Paul Gerrard]. It was an absolute screamer, but it was also important and his celebration was one of pure emotion after scoring against the Evertonians for the first time in his career.