When Steven Gerrard walked off the pitch at the Britannia Stadium on Sunday, he called time on a 17 year career at Liverpool that has seen him play alongside some of the most talented players to grace the English game – though few have been quite as gifted or influential as him.
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(Image) LA Galaxy take out full-page ad for Steven Gerrard tribute
Every player in Liverpool’s 2005 Champions League run – where are they now?
To celebrate the curtain call of his wonderful time on Merseyside, BBC Sport have compiled a starting line up consisting of the players that the former England captain has played the most games with, with two of the current crop making the XI.
Here is the side in full:
GK: Pepe Reina (228 appearances alongside Gerrard)
The Spaniard spent nine years at Anfield – although his final season was spent on loan in Serie A – before his move to Bayern Munich last summer. Together with Gerrard, the pair were the catalysts for the dramatic turnaround in the FA Cup final during Reina’s first campaign at the club. The midfielder scored the two goals that helped us come back from behind twice against West Ham, before Reina made three saves in the penalty shooutout to help us clinch the trophy for the seventh time.
CB: Martin Skrtel (164 apps)
Like Gerrard, Martin Skrtel has assumed the mantle of one of the leaders of our side in the last couple of years. The last time the pair scored in the same game came in the emphatic 4-0 win against Fulham in December 2012. Luis Suarez and Stewart Downing were also on the scoresheet that day.
CB: Daniel Agger (141 apps)
The big Dane left Anfield one season ago, having spent over eight years at the club. Coincidentally, the centre-back scored on his last appearance for the side – as did Gerrard on Sunday – grabbing the equaliser two minutes before Daniel Sturridge bagged the winner in the final day victory against Newcastle.
CB: Sami Hyypia (268 apps)
One of the most underrated defenders in Premier League history, Sami Hyypia spent a decade at the heart of our defence. Such was his influence that just a couple of years into his time on Merseyside, he was handed the captain’s armband – having helped the side achieve the cup treble in 2001. It would be Gerrard that replaced him as the skipper in 2003, but the Finn remained a stalwart of our team.
RWB: Jamie Carragher (383 apps)
No one has played more times alongside our leader than Jamie Carragher. The defender-turned-pundit sits one place above Gerrard in the list for our club’s all-time appearance makers, with Ian Callaghan the only man ahead of him. Carragher made his Liverpool debut nearly two years before Gerrard, and the two remained key components of the side right until the centre-back’s retirement in 2013.
LWB: John Arne Riise (199 apps)
His trademark free-kicks and inch-perfect crosses made John Arne Riise one of the most exciting players to have played for the club since the start of the Premier League. It was one of those crosses that kick-started our comeback in the Champions League final a decade ago, as his ball landed perfectly on the head of none other than Steven Gerrard, who glanced it into the top corner and gave us the belief that the impossible could be achieved.
CM: Didi Hamann (157 apps)
The German formed a formidable partnership in the middle of the park with Gerrard. His performance in Istanbul – where he had a broken foot – allowed the skipper to lead the fightback. Hamann also bagged the first penalty for us in the shootout, as he would also do 12 months later when the FA Cup final ended in a draw after extra time.
CM: Lucas Leiva (147 apps)
Lucas is the second of this team to still be plying their trade at Anfield. The Brazilian’s tough-tackling approach allowed Gerrard to exert his influence further up the pitch, safe in the knowledge that his teammate was around to sweep up anything that headed back towards our goal.
RW: Dirk Kuyt (160 apps)
Like Gerrard, the Dutch winger would always give everything to try and make sure that we secured three points, however bleak the situation looked. He was not a Red until after Istanbul, but he played an important role in the final two years later. He scored the goal that gave us a glimmer of hope a couple minutes from time, but sadly we were unable to repeat the heroics.
LW: Danny Murphy (128 apps)
Danny Murphy’s technical ability made him such a valuable weapon in our side around the Millennium, especially as teams consistently underrated him. He was an important part of the side that would go on to win the treble, and adapted expertly well when he was shifted to out wide so Gerrard, and either Hamann or Gary McAllister were able to play down the middle.
ST: Michael Owen (135 apps)
The nippy striker was denied reaching his full potential, as injuries and bad decisions transfer-wise stunted his development. He burst onto the scene in the mid-1990s, and was already an established member of the side – having just been to a World Cup – when he scored against Blackburn in November 1998. Later in that game, his teammate Vegard Heggem was replaced by another youngster called Steven Gerrard.