Free Steven Gerrard: My Liverpool Story by Steven Gerrard

room, then usually the less senior players in there will watch you. That is the most important thing. It is not simply 3 o’clock on a Saturday afternoon when a captain comes into his own. Training that week is just as important and the entire build-up to the game. For example, if the team gets picked on a Thursday and Jay Spearing is playing, I will text him or speak to him and just point out a few things for him to expect in a certain game.
    Jay’s a great lad. Someone who is still making his way in the game and willing to take on board any advice. I will do it in a quiet way – one-on-one – not wanting people to think I am this noisy captain, roaring in front of people on the Sky cameras. For me, that is the wrong thing to do.
    Gerard appointed me because he liked the things that I was doing, but I have learnt from some of the other captains I have played under. I liked Michael Owen’s demeanour on the occasions he had the armband on. He was never in your face, ranting and raving, but he preferred to show he was right up for it by going out and scoring a couple. Leading by example.
    David Beckham is another captain I hold in high regard. He never said too much in the England dressing room, but when he spoke it was sensible and constructive and, best of all, he went out and performed at a consistent level for the vast majority of his career.
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    “My life changed again with the armband on.”
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    The Armband That Means So Much
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    My life as a Liverpool player changed for the better on October 15, 2003. That was the first time I was officially Liverpool’s captain for a match. We played Olympic Ljubljana in the UEFA Cup at Anfield and won 3–0 with Anthony Le Tallec, Emile Heskey and Harry Kewell scoring. It was a proud, proud day. From that moment on, the way I was viewed and the responsibility I had altered. Team-mates, managers and fans look to the captain to get results and to pull the team through when times are tough. I always prided myself on doing that even without the armband, but now I realised I had to step up another level. I was even more of a role model. It remains one of the best days of my life.

    Fully Committed
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    It is easy to see just how much winning means to players. I’m desperately trying to get the ball on target and the Fulham defenders are doing everything in their power to protect their goal.
    Louis Saha is the Fulham player nearest to me and my Liverpool team-mates Emile Heskey and Igor Biscan are looking to get on the end of any ricochets in and around the penalty area. You make a run into the penalty box and 9 times out of 10 you don’t get the rub of the green. But you have to keep on going and eventually it will turn for you.

    Pass Percentage
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    I often take risks with my passing. That is just how I play. Nowadays you get statistical analysis of how many passes players attempt, how many are completed and a pass completion percentage. If I am being honest, I don’t take too much notice of them. The figures don’t properly differentiate between a pass that I’m trying to squeeze through the eye of a needle and the safe ball an opponent will play to a team-mate five yards away. I’d rather have a pass completion rate of 73%, but lay on two goals, than make 90% of passes to someone standing within touching distance.

    Sheer Joy
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    My face says it all. There is no better feeling than scoring for your boyhood team and I have been lucky enough to do it quite a bit over the seasons. I think you can see the passion I have for Liverpool here and just what it means to me to score for them. Usually I find myself drawn instinctively towards where the fans are when I find the back of the net. Maybe it’s the noise that pulls me towards them, but also I am a fan myself. I would be in with the supporters if I wasn’t playing, so to get a result and share it with them is magical.

    On the Angle and Goalbound
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    Another goal against Bolton and another past