Steven Gerrard, Liverpool (TARIK TINAZAY/AFP via Getty Images)
Steven Gerrard is an icon at Liverpool. There will never be anyone like him, but one can hope. Here are three candidates who might have what it takes…
It had been a rainy day in Stoke. Gloom had suffused the Liverpool fans even on their way to the West Midlands. There was a sense of foreboding. A reluctance to let go.
Some hoped the day would never come. That somehow it would be delayed until the end of time. But alas, time is a cruel concept and it catches up with every fallible human being.
And no matter how celestial Steven Gerrard seemed, the ravages of time came for him just like the rest of us.
His ageing legs could no longer take the toil of the Premier League. He could feel the strain shrivelling his muscles and his joints becoming tighter. Just like the fans, he didn’t want to let go but it was time. He had to say his farewell to Liverpool.
The fans’ mood was hardly lifted by the massacre Stoke would unleash on Brendan Rodgers’ Reds as soon as the game started. The dire performance threatened to taint their memory of Gerrard and his legacy.
However, amidst the storm, there would be one final flickering light of hope.
When Rickie Lambert flicked a header past the Stoke defence, Steven Gerrard knew it was his chance to pounce.
His weathered legs stretched taught, his muscles churned like an ancient mill grinding its one final gear and Steven Gerrard sprinted towards the ball as if he had been the boisterous 20 year old of his prime.
The finish was just like the Gerrard of old, cool, calm and collected. The ball nestled softly into Stoke’s net.
It was merely a consolation. Just a slight tinge of illumination. But it ensured Gerrard had one final moment to show just why he was so adored at Liverpool.
Gerrard made 710 appearances for the club.
He delivered iconic moments which will forever be engraved in Liverpool’s history, from Olympiakos, Istanbul to the FA Cup final against West Ham.
Gerrard would sometimes lead Liverpool single-handedly. He had the aura to inspire his team-mates and the quality to conjure miracles.
He will always remain unique and indelible.
Yet it does not stop the yearning for ‘another Gerrard’ at Anfield.
Here are three candidates who have similar traits to Liverpool’s former great and could potentially emulate the man himself.
Steven Gerrard</a> seemed, the ravages of time came for him just like the rest of us.</p>
<p>His ageing legs could no longer take the toil of the Premier League. He could feel the strain shrivelling his muscles and his joints becoming tighter. Just like the fans, he didn’t want to let go but it was time. He had to say his farewell to Liverpool.</p>
<p>The fans’ mood was hardly lifted by the massacre Stoke would unleash on Brendan Rodgers’ Reds as soon as the game started. The dire performance threatened to taint their memory of Gerrard and his legacy.</p>
<p>However, amidst the storm, there would be one final flickering light of hope.</p>
<p>When <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/04/16/liverpool-players-emulate-steven-gerrard/"https://fbref.com/en/players/495de82c/Rickie-Lambert?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Rickie Lambert</a> flicked a header past the Stoke defence, Steven Gerrard knew it was his chance to pounce.</p>
<p>His weathered legs stretched taught, his muscles churned like an ancient mill grinding its one final gear and Steven Gerrard sprinted towards the ball as if he had been the boisterous 20 year old of his prime.</p>
<p>The finish was just like the Gerrard of old, cool, calm and collected. The ball nestled softly into Stoke’s net.</p>
<p>It was merely a consolation. Just a slight tinge of illumination. But it ensured Gerrard had one final moment to show just why he was so adored at Liverpool.</p>
<p>Gerrard made 710 appearances for the club.</p>
<p>He delivered iconic moments which will forever be engraved in Liverpool’s history, from Olympiakos, Istanbul to the FA Cup final against West Ham.</p>
<p>Gerrard would sometimes lead Liverpool single-handedly. He had the aura to inspire his team-mates and the quality to conjure miracles.</p>
<p>He will always remain unique and indelible.</p>
<p>Yet it does not stop the yearning for ‘another Gerrard’ at Anfield.</p>
<p>Here are three candidates who have similar traits to Liverpool’s former great and could potentially emulate the man himself.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/04/16/liverpool-players-emulate-steven-gerrard/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 1. Trent Alexander-Arnold </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-480525" src=https://playingfor90.com/2020/04/16/liverpool-players-emulate-steven-gerrard/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fplayingfor90.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1190521369.jpeg" alt="Liverpool" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://playingfor90.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1190521369.jpeg 1600w, https://playingfor90.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1190521369-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">(Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>1. Trent Alexander-Arnold</h3>
<p>Age: 21</p>
<p>Position: Right-Back</p>
<p>In 2015, on a wet patchy turf at Carrington, Liverpool’s U18 side, lined up to face Manchester United. The Red Devils were a strong force. They led the U18 league table with <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/04/16/liverpool-players-emulate-steven-gerrard/"https://fbref.com/en/players/a1d5bd30/Marcus-Rashford?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Marcus Rashford</a> leading the line.</p>
<p>Often during such fierce contests, Liverpool’s senior side would rely on Steven Gerrard to deliver.</p>
<p>The U18s had no Steven Gerrard on that October day, but they did have a Trent Alexander-Arnold.</p>
<p>Wearing the captain’s armband and playing at the centre of midfield, the 17 year old ran around the pitch with the same ferocious intensity Gerrard used to play in derby fixtures.</p>
<p>He’d score twice from running into the box from midfield and led the Reds to a crucial victory.</p>
<p>How often had Steven Gerrard done the same at Liverpool? The performance would be a glimmer of what was to come.</p>
<p>Less than a year later, <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/04/16/liverpool-players-emulate-steven-gerrard/"https://fbref.com/en/players/cd1acf9d/Trent-Alexander-Arnold?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22>Trent Alexander-Arnold</a> would make his debut, but in an unorthodox role.</p>
<p>Jurgen Klopp opted to deploy the Liverpool number 66 as a right-back in a League Cup match against Tottenham. The 18-year-old lasted 68 minutes. It had been an unremarkable debut, but Steven Gerrard himself lauded his performance and Alexander-Arnold would be named in the EFL Cup team of the fourth round.</p>
<p>From that moment on, Alexander Arnold’s role as a right-back had been affixed. He would play there in the academy and in the first team.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, playing out of position did not inhibit his progress, if anything it helped Alexander-Arnold thrive.</p>
<p>Three years on from his debut, Alexander-Arnold is now regarded as the best right-back in the world. His creative prowess and peerless crosses have made him a key asset for Liverpool going forward.</p>
<p>Steven Gerrard, himself would occasionally fill in for the right-back role during his formative years at the club. As did Jamie Carragher. It is a role which seems to be a great stepping-stone for academy hopefuls at Anfield. However, whether Alexander-Arnold will return to his favoured central-midfield role remains to be seen.</p>
<p>The common adage goes that if ‘something isn’t broken, do not fix it.’ And that certainly rings true in the case of Alexander-Arnold.</p>
<p>Alexander-Arnold has excelled so much in the right-back role it is difficult to find an adequate replacement in his place.</p>
<p>The trait which is reminiscent of Gerrard the most in Alexander-Arnold is his striking ability. The number 66 is exceptional in his delivery and his shooting. Even from right back, he has already scored some outstanding strikes for the club and delivered some iconic assists too.</p>
<p>Whether or not he will emulate Steven Gerrard, remains to be seen, however, it is without a shadow of a doubt he will become a Liverpool legend if he continues his current run of form.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/04/16/liverpool-players-emulate-steven-gerrard/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 2. Curtis Jones </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-480537" src=https://playingfor90.com/2020/04/16/liverpool-players-emulate-steven-gerrard/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_467,w_673/https%3A%2F%2Fplayingfor90.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1204033997.jpeg" alt="Liverpool" width="673" height="467" srcset="https://playingfor90.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1204033997.jpeg 3200w, https://playingfor90.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1204033997-768x533.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 673px) 100vw, 673px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:673px;">(Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>2. Curtis Jones</h3>
<p>Age: 19</p>
<p>Position: Central-Midfielder</p>
<p>It was almost a carbon-copy.</p>
<p>In 2001, Steven Gerrard announced his name to English football with a thunder-strike in the Merseyside derby to secure a famous victory for the Reds.</p>
<p>Ironically it had been the same year <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/04/16/liverpool-players-emulate-steven-gerrard/"https://fbref.com/en/players/4fb9c88f/Curtis-Jones?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22>Curtis Jones</a> was born.</p>
<p>19 years later, on a cold January night, Curtis Jones did exactly the same thing against Liverpool’s ancient rivals.</p>
<p>Granted, Curtis Jones’ strike nestled into the top right corner of Everton’s goal, meanwhile, Gerrard’s thumped into the top left, but the strikes were eerily similar.</p>
<p>The 19-year-old has been making waves at Kirkby over the last few seasons. The scouse born midfielder has it all; flair, technique, pace and vision. He’s been tormenting academy defences for years.</p>
<p>Jurgen Klopp clearly likes what he sees. The German holds Curtis Jones in high regard and according<a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/04/16/liverpool-players-emulate-steven-gerrard/"https://www.thisisanfield.com/2020/04/curtis-jones-to-stay-at-liverpool-next-season-as-jurgen-klopp-believes-he-is-ready/"> to the latest reports</a>, Klopp is keen to see more of Jones in the first team next season, with Liverpool unlikely to send the 19-year-old on a loan spell.</p>
<p>Jones matches up well to Gerrard’s fledgling senior career at Liverpool.</p>
<p>By the time Steven Gerrard turned 19, he had made a total of thirteen senior appearances for the club, scoring zero goals.</p>
<p>Curtis Jones turned 19 at the of January this year. By that time, he had made nine senior appearances for Liverpool and had already found the back of the net twice.</p>
<p>It is a positive omen, but it’s too early to say whether Curtis Jones will surpass Steven Gerrard.</p>
<p>There were many names in the past who came through the ranks at Kirkby and were labelled as the next ‘Steven Gerrard’ but succumbed to the hype and ultimately faltered. <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/04/16/liverpool-players-emulate-steven-gerrard/"https://fbref.com/en/players/f26579f5/Jay-Spearing?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jay Spearing</a>, <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/04/16/liverpool-players-emulate-steven-gerrard/"https://fbref.com/en/players/0e459095/Jordan-Rossiter?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jordan Rossiter</a>, <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/04/16/liverpool-players-emulate-steven-gerrard/"https://fbref.com/en/players/34faec43/Adam-Phillips?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Adam Phillips</a> and <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/04/16/liverpool-players-emulate-steven-gerrard/"https://fbref.com/en/players/2928dca2/Conor-Coady?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Conor Coady</a> are just a few.</p>
<p>Out of all of those names, Curtis Jones has shown the most promise already.</p>
<p>The midfielder is versatile, able to play on the flanks, in the centre of midfield and has even played as a false number nine at academy level.</p>
<p>He is tenacious with a real fighting spirit, reminiscent of Gerrard in his early days.</p>
<p>In fact, Gerrard was crucial in Jones’ development. As the U18 boss during the 2017/18 season, Jones honed his skills first hand from the former Liverpool captain.</p>
<p>Curtis Jones thrived under Gerrard’s leadership scoring 16 goals in 25 appearances. This season he has 14 goals in 18 at academy level.</p>
<p>Those numbers are like Gerrard in his prime. The future is certainly bright for Curtis Jones and the sky is the limit.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/04/16/liverpool-players-emulate-steven-gerrard/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 3. Dominik Szoboszlai </a>
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<p> </p><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_480538" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-480538" src=https://playingfor90.com/2020/04/16/liverpool-players-emulate-steven-gerrard/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2358,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fplayingfor90.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1178610604.jpeg" alt="Liverpool" width="3200" height="2358" srcset="https://playingfor90.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1178610604.jpeg 3200w, https://playingfor90.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1178610604-768x566.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">(Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>3. Dominik Szoboszlai</h3>
<p>Age: 19</p>
<p>Position: Central-Midfielder</p>
<p>You could hear a pin drop inside the Groupama Arena. Deep into a crunch European Championship qualifier between Hungary and Slovakia, the Magyars had been awarded a free-kick.</p>
<p>Standing over the ball, ready to strike was 18 year old <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/04/16/liverpool-players-emulate-steven-gerrard/"https://fbref.com/en/players/934e1968/Dominik-Szoboszlai?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22>Dominik Szoboszlai</a>. Hungary trailed one-nil. The pressure was on. The Hungarians needed a saviour.</p>
<p>Szoboszlai took a deep breath, narrowed his eyes on the target like a hawk and struck the ball towards the goal. The sound was like an arrow hissing through the sky. The ball nestled into the back of the net before the Slovakian goalkeeper could even move.</p>
<p>The Groupama Arena exploded into a cacophony of noise as a jubilant Szoboszlai wheeled away in celebration.</p>
<p>Cast your minds back to the days of Gerrard, change the setting to Anfield and the scene is eerily reminiscent of Liverpool’s former captain fantastic.</p>
<p>Szoboszlai is just 19 years of age, but the youngster has already delivered some iconic goals from long-range.</p>
<p>A dramatic last minute winner at U17 level against Norway to take Hungary to the European Championships was another moment which sparked memories of Gerrard.</p>
<p>The Hungarian midfielder who currently plies his trade at Austrian outfit Red Bull Salzburg has one of the most potent shots in world football. Szoboszlai can strike the ball like no other. Watch highlights of his goals on Youtube and if you squint your eyes you could be forgiven for mistaking some of them for Gerrard’s.</p>
<p>Szoboszlai is yet to prove himself in a big league, but his performances in the Champions League group-stages this season have been amicable. At Anfield, he played out of position but kept up with the tempo of the game and showed his defensive abilities.</p>
<p>The Hungarian is quick, exuberant with exemplary vision. Physically he needs to bulk up but that will come with age.</p>
<p>Some of Europe’s elite clubs are believed to be looking at him, including AC Milan, Juventus, Lazio and Arsenal.</p>
<p>It will only be a matter of time until he moves on from Salzburg.</p>
<p>And it is not disingenuous to suggest that he could one day end up at Anfield considering a plethora of current Liverpool stars once developed at Red Bull Salzburg’s illustrious academy including <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/04/16/liverpool-players-emulate-steven-gerrard/"https://fbref.com/en/players/c691bfe2/Sadio-Mane?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Sadio Mane</a>, <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/04/16/liverpool-players-emulate-steven-gerrard/"https://fbref.com/en/players/f25c8e3a/Naby-Keita?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Naby Keita</a> and <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/04/16/liverpool-players-emulate-steven-gerrard/"https://fbref.com/en/players/f833a830/Takumi-Minamino?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Takumi Minamino</a>.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="Marcus Thuram could be the ideal target for Jurgen Klopp" data-url="https://playingfor90.com/2020/04/14/marcus-thuram-perfect-signing-liverpool/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/04/16/liverpool-players-emulate-steven-gerrard/"https://playingfor90.com/2020/04/14/marcus-thuram-perfect-signing-liverpool/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> Marcus Thuram could be the ideal target for Jurgen Klopp </a> </div>
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<p>What do you think, can any of the above-mentioned names emulate Steven Gerrard?</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">