Steven Gerrard showed up in the one game that stood between him leaving Liverpool for Chelsea
03/15/2025 05:00 PM
Steven Gerrard carried Liverpool on his back for the majority of his career.
Unlike the current Liverpool squad, the midfielder did not always have the best players around him and that was one of the main reasons the former Reds captain never got his hands on the Premier League.
That could have been achieved had the Liverpool legend moved to Chelsea as Jose Mourinho wanted Gerrard while managing at Stamford Bridge.
That was an option Gerrard considered and many thought at the time that the midfielder could leave his boyhood club.
However, one game changed the Liverpool legend’s mind and it was a contest the Reds hero showed up in.
One game stood between Steven Gerrard and leaving Liverpool
Gerrard had a role to play in the majority of the trophies he won at Liverpool and the Reds’ 2005 Champions League campaign was no different.
The midfielder saved his team from elimination with his famous stunner against Olympiacos in the group stage and from there, Liverpool would go on to reach the final in Istanbul.
Ahead of the biggest game of his life, Gerrard needed to address the links between him and Chelsea. In an interview with Sky Sports, the Liverpool legend admitted that the Champions League final in 2005 would have an impact on his decision and that it could have been his last game for the Merseyside club.
When asked if winning the Champions League would determine if he left Liverpool or not, Gerrard responded with a simple ‘Yeah’.
Before the midfielder continued by saying: “If I was to go and lift a cup for Liverpool Football Club, and then I’m to sit down and talk to the manager two or three days later and the chief executive, I don’t really think there are many things to talk about if I just lifted the European Cup.
“As I said to you before, I mean, the plan was always to sit down after the last game of the season and discuss my future, but I’m sure if we win this it’ll definitely help.”
Luckily for Liverpool fans, the Merseyside club added a fifth European Cup to their collection that night in Istanbul and Gerrard had a big part to play in their success.
Steven Gerrard stepped up for Liverpool in the Champions League final
The 2005 Champions League final does not need retelling as everyone knows the story of how Liverpool turned around a 3-0 deficit at halftime against an incredible AC Milan team filled with star names.
Dietmar Hamann believes Djimi Traore was the reason Liverpool won the Champions League that year, while most Reds fans would credit the German for turning the game around in Istanbul.
There were many heroes on that night and Gerrard was one of them as the Liverpool captain played his part.
The midfielder scored the first goal that sparked the comeback, while also winning the penalty that led to the equaliser. This is in addition to the motivational bits he would have had to do at halftime and throughout the remainder of the match.
Overall, things worked out for Gerrard and Liverpool fans as the club legend remained at Anfield. However, it is scary to think how close the midfielder came to joining another English club.
