In a move that will come as little surprise to the footballing community, Liverpool chairman Tom Werner has today been quoted as saying that preliminary talks have been held with Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard about the role he will take up once he hangs up his boots for the final time.
Appearing at Anfield today for the final time, fans alike will get the chance to say “goodbye” to the current incarnation of Steven Gerrard one final time, yet Tom Werner’s quotes in the Echo today can serve as some kind of comforter as Gerrard jet’s off for the sunshine of Los Angeles.
“I’m very hopeful that Steven will return to the club in another role at some stage in the future and his great association with Liverpool will continue.”
“It’s true that I’ve spoken to Steven about coming back. We’ve had some discussions which will remain private but we certainly see him as having an important place in the club’s future.”
These words will come as little comfort today as the whole of Liverpool FC gets ready to say goodbye to its greatest ever player.
It would be interesting to see in which capacity Gerrard does come back to Liverpool, be it in a coaching role or club ambassador, but Werner did suggest what he is going to miss most about Gerrard:
“When one talks about loyalty and dedication, he’s the perfect example of that. He could easily have left to join another club but devoted himself to Liverpool because of his love for the club. That’s very special. I’ve also been so impressed with his interest in creating important philanthropy. He directly contributes to the wellbeing of the citizens of Liverpool.”
Whether it be his scoring record, his raking cross-field passes or dedication to every game he plays, Liverpool FC are going to miss something really remarkable in the coming months and years, yet we as fans can take heart in Werner’s words about listening to Gerrard when it comes to remaining competitive on-the-field, saying he read the quotes by Gerrard and that Liverpool will look to “improve the squad” this summer, but did not touch on whether this meant established names or younger players, citing that for the minute “the focus should be on Steven Gerrard. Saturday is all about his final Anfield appearance and celebrating his career.”
One thing that is for sure is that you don’t buy what Steven Gerrard gave Liverpool. You can replace his goals and assists, but you can’t go out and buy his passion and love for the city.
Maybe the final quote was the most telling, with the Liverpool chairman stating:
“He’s irreplaceable but it’s up the whole team to pull together and move the club forward.”
