Steven George Gerrard (born 30 May 1980) is an English professional football manager and former player who is the current manager of Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq. Described by pundits and fellow professionals as one of his generation's greatest players, Gerrard spent the vast majority of his playing career as a central midfielder for Liverpool and the England national team, captaining both.
Born in Merseyside, Gerrard played for Liverpool from 1998 to 2015, winning nine trophies, including the UEFA Champions League, two FA Cups and three League Cups. He was Man of the Match in the 2005 UEFA Champions League final, in which Liverpool overturned a 3–0 deficit to defeat AC Milan on penalties, and the 2006 FA Cup final, which has been termed The Gerrard Final in homage to his performance. Despite success in cup competitions, he never won the Premier League. During his career, Gerrard was thrice selected in the FIFA FIFPRO Men's World 11. Gerrard won 114 England caps between 2000 and 2014, captaining the team 38 times and scoring 21 goals. He played at three UEFA European Championships, in 2000, 2004 and 2012 (where he was named in the Team of the Tournament) and three FIFA World Cups, in 2006, 2010 and 2014.
Gerrard began his managerial career managing the Liverpool Youth Academy's under-18 team, before starting his senior managerial career in 2018 with Scottish Premiership club Rangers. In his third full season in charge, Gerrard's side went unbeaten in the league to win Rangers' first league title in ten years. In November 2021, he became the manager of Aston Villa, but after just eleven months in charge, he was dismissed due to a poor run of results.
As a player, his individual awards include UEFA Club Footballer of the Year in 2005, PFA Players' Player of the Year in 2006, FWA Footballer of the Year in 2009, appointment as a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2007 and induction into the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2021. He was named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year a record eight times. As a manager, he was named as Manager of the Year for 2021 by PFA Scotland and the SFWA.
Early life
Steven George Gerrard was born on 30 May 1980, in Whiston, Merseyside, England, and is the second son of Paul and Julie Ann Gerrard. He started out playing for his hometown team, Whiston Juniors, where he was noticed by Liverpool scouts; he joined the Liverpool Academy in 1989 aged nine. His childhood footballing heroes were John Barnes and Ian Rush at Liverpool, and Paul Gascoigne for England. When Gerrard was young, a garden fork was imbedded in the big toe of his right foot. In his autobiography, Gerrard: My Autobiography, he credited Liverpool's academy director Steve Heighway and his father for preventing an operation to amputate his toe.
Although not a Catholic and living outside the catchment area, Gerrard attended Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School upon the recommendation of his primary school teacher, whose husband was a PE teacher at the school, due to its superior football reputation over other schools in the area. Gerrard had trials with various clubs at fourteen, but his success was not immediate; Gerrard never made it into the England schoolboys' team. His trials included one with Manchester United, which he said in his 2006 autobiography was "to pressure Liverpool into giving me a Youth Training Scheme contract." He signed his first professional contract with Liverpool on 5 November 1997.
Club career
Liverpool
1998–2004: Beginnings, cup treble and club captaincy
Gerrard made his first-team debut for Liverpool on 29 November 1998 as a late substitute in a Premier League match against Blackburn Rovers. He made thirteen appearances in his debut season, replacing injured captain Jamie Redknapp in central midfield. He also occasionally played on the right wing, but scarcely contributed in the short match time he received, which he attributed to nerves. Gerrard recalled in a 2008 interview with The Guardian, "I was out of position and out of my depth." Nonetheless, Liverpool's coaching staff remained convinced that he would improve. Gerrard saw himself as a defensive player primarily, looking to make key tackles rather than push the team forward.