Mr. Dependable. A Liverpool man through and through. Mr. Red. No matter how many tags he has been called, or how many aspirations he has borne. No matter whether he has pledged his career for the club, or if he has several amazing memories with his hometown club.
Every time there are the words "transfer' and 'bid' associated with Gerrard, Liverpool fans all over the world shift to the edge of their seats with furrowed brows. They do not want their talisman to leave, for obvious reasons. He has been their hopes, their dreams, and their savior for several years now.
This season has been pretty damaging for Liverpool - ousted of all their competitions without so much as a whiff of a finals anywhere. Except maybe the Europa league, that is. What with the club owners stirring up a storm about the club's debts, a board member slanging the club's fans, the club going up for sale, the managers future in debt, and so on and so forth..... No one would really blame Gerrard if he does decided to leave.
Gerrard turns 30 this May, and while his twelve year loyalty to the first team is undeniable, pundits across the world have been unconvinced with his form of late. While his class is unquestionable, there is one match he cannot win - that against age. Over the years, several clubs have been linked to the man. He almost left Liverpool for Chelsea twice. More recently, he has been linked to Manchester City, Inter Milan and Real Madrid. While Inter Milan and Real Madrid have the lure of the Champions League with them, Manchester City can only boast of their petropounds. Should Gerrard consider a switch?
It will, without doubt, be a better move for his career. At this stage, he needs fresh challenges, new goals. He needs a team to back him up, and more importantly, a title or a Cup in sight. No doubt his leaving the club will generate enormous funds, some much-needed green. Maybe that will be his parting gift for the club he loves above all else.
Has Gerrard achieved everything he wanted? Has he achieved the glory that his stature deserves? Quite obviously not.
Several players, both current and former, have tipped him to leave. Manchester United winger Nani, who had a terrific season, has challenged Gerrard to be more ambitious in quest for titles and leave the club. Nani, 23, already has a bagful of trophies that Gerrard can be envious of. Even former Reds' star, Jason McAteer, said he wouldn't be surprised if Real Madrid convinced the Liverpool captain to switch loyalties. He went so far to claim that the senior players in the Liverpool dressing room ,including Gerrard, were unsettled under Benitez, and wanted a change in the managerial department. And if Gerrard does leave the club, he wouldn't ever play for another Premier League club. Which leaves Real Madrid or Inter as the logical options.
But this is exactly the author feels why he shouldn't leave. Gerrard joined Liverpool FC as a nine year old. He has lived there his whole life. At every match, he reaches out to the fans and tries to give them what he thinks they deserve. LFC is his second home. Gerrard, though a great player, should not leave the club, instead, he should help rebuild it. Whether or not Benitez will stay next season, Gerrard must assume a role-position by making a statement, that he has no intention of leaving. His next targets must be to bring back Liverpool into the top-four mold, maybe even attempt to win the premiership. This will not only be another feather in his cap, but make a larger-than-life persona. And that's exactly for Gerrard is, and the sort of glory that he deserves.
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