For most of his career Steven Gerrard carried Liverpool, and on the big nights he carried them further than seemed reasonable. Whenever the club needed a miracle, he was usually the one asked to produce it.
Two finals in two years
Liverpool trailed AC Milan 3-0 in the 2005 Champions League Final. Gerrard dragged them back, and his performance that night is widely considered the best individual display in the competition's history. Istanbul alone would get him onto this list.
A year later he did it again. In the 2006 FA Cup Final against West Ham he scored a last-minute screamer that ranks among the best goals the old competition has seen.
Captain Fantastic was the ultimate big-game player, and the record around those nights holds up:
- Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year in 2006, at the peak of his powers
- 114 caps for England, with the captaincy at World Cups and European Championships
- A whole career at Liverpool, despite offers from Chelsea, Real Madrid and Barcelona
Captain, leader, scorer, creator and rescuer, Gerrard spent years pulling Liverpool out of impossible situations. That is why he ranks among the best midfielders to play the game.
Coming tomorrow: number 23.
