5 players who could potentially replace Gerrard at Liverpool
Steven Gerrard will be joining LA Galaxy after spending 17 years at LiverpoolIt is indeed unfortunate that this will be the last season that the Premier League will get to witness Steven Gerrard in action. The 34-year-old, arguably one of the greatest midfielders of his generation will bid adieu to the Merseyside Club, and to the Premier League as whole for one last swansong at Major League Soccer (MLS) with LA Galaxy.You know you are talking about a special player when a manager like Jose Mourinho admits that not signing him has been his biggest regret or his rival team’s manager Alex Ferguson saying that he is the man to replace Roy Keane. His heroics in leading Liverpool to a come-from-behind victory over AC Milan in the 2005 will forever be etched in their memories along with a number of inspired performances they have come to witness from the genius over the years.His loyalty has been second to none, having rejected the likes of Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Bayern Munich among a lot others to stay with his boyhood club and achieve his dream of captaining the Reds. He has, sometimes single-handedly, won Liverpool games and there is no better big-match player than Steven Gerrard as he is the only player in world football to have scored in the Champions League, UEFA Cup, FA Cup and League Cup finals.He has amassed 182 goals in total, so far, for the club and won seven trophies along with a host of individual awards including winning the UEFA European player and finishing third in the Ballon d’Or in 2005.But football, like life, has to move on. Even though, a player like Gerrard can never be replaced, the club can take a look at some players who could step into Stevie G’s massive shoes. Liverpool, or any other club for that matter, will never find another Steven Gerrard, but there are some players who may be able to replace the legendary skipper in some aspects, if not all.Now, let us take a look at five players who could potentially fill the void left by Gerrard at Liverpool:
#1 Jordan Henderson
From being the player unfairly criticised by Alex Ferguson for his running style to becoming one of the mainstays in the Liverpool starting eleven, Henderson has defied all odds. After sealing a £16-million move from Sunderland, his career at Anfield had a slow start, with the fans not totally convinced with their new signing. There were also rumours that he was about to be offloaded to Fulham in a swap deal for Clint Dempsey.
But that is all in the past now. The 24-year-old, through his sheer will and determination has become one of the most influential players in the Liverpool dressing room, second only to Gerrard. Like Gerrard himself, Henderson has been deployed in a number of positions by manager Brendan Rodgers, but he most prominently features as a central midfielder.
What he lacks in technique, he makes up for it with his tireless running and his marauding runs towards the opposition half. With Rickie Lambert mostly stationary in the opposition half and Mario Balotelli’s lethargic performances, Henderson has been crucial in bombing forward and creating chances.
His two goals and six assists in the Premier League stand testament to that fact. He is also comfortable with the ball at his feet and a good distributor of the ball. He also contributes defensively and is often seen tracking back to help the defenders.
Leaving the technicalities aside, Henderson is also showing signs of becoming a leader at Anfield. His recent bust-up with Diego Costa in the League Cup match at Anfield was a perfect example of the Englishman standing up for his team and refusing to be intimidated. He later said that he would not allow his team to be intimidated by Chelsea and that he would protect the younger players of the squad, having gone through it earlier in his career.
It is now widely known that Henderson will inherit the captain’s armband after Gerrard departs. Even if Gerrard and Henderson may not share exactly the same qualities as a footballer but what they do share is loyalty and a passion to give everything for the team.