There are guaranteed to be tears at Anfield this weekend as Steven Gerrard takes to the turf at Liverpool’s beloved home for the last time — even if those tears are not his.
Gerrard dismissed the notion of getting teary-eyed on his Merseyside farewell and instead apologized for stealing the limelight from his teammates.
Saturday’s English Premier League game with Crystal Palace will be Gerrard’s last at the club’s stadium before he departs for Los Angeles Galaxy.
In his final press conference ahead of his penultimate game for the club, Gerrard was asked: “Are you going to cry?”
“I’m only here to talk about how we’ll beat Crystal Palace,” quipped the 34-year-old.
But he really wasn’t.
“I hope not,” he replied. “I’ve been dreading this moment because I’m going to miss it so much but the plan is try to keep it together and avoid any tears, although there’s nothing wrong with getting emotional.
“I’m not really one for attention and I feel a bit sorry for my teammates. All I can do is apologize if I’ve taken attention away.”
Gerrard’s ex-teammate Jamie Carragher, now a pundit for British broadcaster Sky Sports, said he hoped there are no tears shed on the occasion, but even Gerrard couldn’t say for sure.
“I’m not like him, I’m not made of stone. We’ll have to see,” joked Gerrard. “I’m not usually one who sheds tears when I’m emotional, I usually keep it in, but we’ll have to wait and see.”
Over the course of a glittering career, Gerrard has enjoyed many memorable moments in front of his home fans but there is no doubt in his mind which is his favorite.
“My favourite game at Anfield would be when I scored a hat-trick against Everton,” he said. “After all the stick I’ve taken off the Bluenoses (slang for Everton fans.)”
And there are no prizes for guessing what Gerrard revealed as his favorite moment in the famous red shirt of Liverpool.
In 2005, he inspired the team to an improbable win against AC Milan in the Champions League final. Liverpool trailed 3-0 at half-time but recovered to win after a penalty shootout.
The feat has since been dubbed “The Miracle of Istanbul.”
“It was the best night of my life,” he recalled. “It’s going to go down in history as the best ever Champions League final.”
At the end of the press conference, he had some moving words for former manager Gerard Houllier, who gave him his debut for the club in 1998.
“I owe a lot to Gerard Houllier,” he said. “He was like a father figure to me.”
Although he is moving to America at the end of the season, Gerrard revealed he is currently taking his UEFA coaching badges and has said on a number of occasions he would one day relish a return to Liverpool.
