Steven Gerrard has boldly come out to declare who he believes could be Liverpool’s future captain, after the Reds breezed past Galatasaray 4-1 on aggregate in the Champions League.
On the TNT Sports punditry team for the second leg clash, Gerrard is no stranger to a famous night in Europe’s illustrious competition at Anfield, when he was Liverpool’s distinguished midfield leader for so many years.
His last-gasp strike against Olympiakos immediately springs to mind, here, with the now retired legend bagging 23 goals and collecting 14 assists, across a bumper career total of 73 games in the elite competition.
He even lifted the Champions League, on that famous night in Istanbul in 2005, as a successful penalty shoot-out dramatically handed the Gerrard-led Reds an unbelievable victory, after they battled back from being three goals down.
In the here and now, Slot and Co. only had to turn around a one-goal setback, but they did so in style, with Gerrard tipping one of Liverpool’s star performers on the night to be ideal captain material.
Match Stats: Liverpool 4-0 Galatasaray (4-1 Agg):
| Stat | Liverpool | Galatasaray |
| Goals | 4 | 0 |
| Total shots | 32 | 4 |
| Shots on target | 16 | 1 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 5.02 | 0.18 |
| Possession | 62% | 38% |
| Big chances created | 7 | 0 |
| Goalkeeper saves | 1 | 11 |
The Liverpool player Gerrard has tipped to be captain
Liverpool absolutely wiped the floor with Oran Buruk’s men during an extremely one-sided second leg affair, with the Reds ending the game with a mammoth 32 shots attempted at the Lions’ goal.
The Super Lig giants would retreat to Turkey with only 0.18 xG mustered up, as the likes of Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, and Mohamed Salah ran rings around the tired away side’s defence all night long.
Dominik Szoboszlai had another fine night as well, as he got the ball rolling for Slot’s hosts, when bagging the opener to calm the nerves inside Anfield.
Winning a combined ten tackles and duels, too, when rolling up his sleeves, it was a leader-like performance from the much-loved Hungarian.
Former Reds great Jamie Carragher would hail him as “Liverpool’s best player by far” when discussing the overall display at the full-time whistle, with Gerrard also chiming in with his own glowing praise.
Speaking on TNT Sports, the decorated former captain would tip Szoboszlai to one day wear the esteemed armband, acknowledging that he is a “big talent.”
He said: “I like his mentality. He’s evolved and he’s grown a lot since he’s become a Liverpool player.
“We obviously signed a big talent.
He’s in the prime years of his career. I think Liverpool are going to see the best of him. I hope he stays around for a long time because I think there’s a potential captain in there.”
Further going on to praise his work ethic for the entire team, Gerrard has also demanded that Slot continue to play him in a more natural midfield position than a makeshift role in defence.
He added: “”He’s flying at the moment. He’s full of confidence. He’s got everything going for him. He’s just got to maintain it and stay healthy.
He’s definitely a team player. I still think there’s another level to him as well. I can see him potentially getting more goals, if he can have a consistent run in that 8/10 position.
You can see it tonight; he could have had a hat-trick.
He’s always in and around the box. His ball striking is phenomenal. His timing and his technique and he hits it with so much venom.
The balls are getting lighter and lighter. He must be an absolute nightmare for the goalkeeper.
People are going away now talking about his performance because he’s exciting and he’s entertaining, but he’s in his proper position. Keep him in his proper position. Let him flourish.”
Liverpool’s Last Five Club Captains:
| Player | Period |
| Virgil Van Dijk | 2023-Present |
| Jordan Henderson | 2015-2023 |
| Steven Gerrard | 2003-2015 |
| Sami Hyypia | 2002-2003 |
| Jamie Redknapp | 1999-2002 |
Szoboszlai would join an exclusive list if he were handed the honours of being Liverpool’s next captain, post Virgil Van Dijk, with the 25-year-old having the potential to be considered even more of a modern-day great on Merseyside, if the baton were passed on.
