Anfield is all that matters

The 18yearold kid with the crew cut that made two goalline clearances in a Derby win The 20yearold who strode forward from central midfield to thump an unstoppable shot past Fabien Barthezin the Manchester United goal The captain who feared relegation to the UEFA Cup smashing a halfvolley into the Olympiakos net to ensure progress into the Champions League knockout stages and on to a famous night in IstanbulSpecial kiss at home Liverpoolrsquos Steven Gerrard kisses his daughter ahead of the epl match against Crystal Palace at Anfield in Liverpool on Saturday PicGetty ImagesThe slip against Chelsea that almost certain cost Liverpool a league title last April The rash challenge that saw the red card come out within a minute of entering the field as a substitute in his last appearance against United The winning goal against Queenrsquos Park Rangers in front of an adoring KopWhen Liverpool fans and neutrals alike look back on the Steven Gerrard era there will be a kaleidoscope of memoriesOn Saturday it ended at Anfield He may yet make one more appearance against Stoke at the Britannia Stadium on the final weekend of the season but no one really cares about that For a Liverpool legend saying his goodbyes itrsquos always about Anfield AlwaysThose of us with grey creeping into the hair can remember the first steps the excitement about the homegrown kid who might go on to great things The first goal a slalomlike run through the Sheffield Wednesday defence and a tidy finish was memorable enough but it was his strength and versatility that caught the eye early onOn that famous night in Istanbul Gerrard started in central midfield After a shocking first half in which Kaka and Andrea Pirlo ran rings around Liverpool he was the furthest forward when John Arne Riise sent in the crossfield ball that was to trigger one of the great comebacks in sport In the very same game he filled in at rightback as well It was what made him a coachrsquos dream and a nightmare as wellWith a Pirlo or Xavi you knew exactly what you were going to get With Gerrard who could do so many things staying in a tactical straitjacket seemed unnatural His natural approach was the Roy of the Rovers way seeking the ball at every opportunity even if that meant being dragged hopelessly out of positionOf all the coaches he played under Rafael Benitez and Brendan Rodgers last season when the side so nearly ended a quartercentury of pain got the best out of him In an advanced midfield role he thrived It allowed him to get forward and score his share of goals and also exposed defences to the pinpoint passes that premier forwards like Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez feasted onBeyond the figuresBut far more than 709 games 185 goals two European trophies and an FA Cup win that he delivered almostsinglehanded what Gerrard meant to Liverpool was hope When he joined the club as a trainee the team was still the best in the land As the aura faded over the next decade it was to Gerrard and Michael Owen that fans looked Owen from an Evertonsupporting family and seemingly more serious about England than Liverpool was always viewed a little suspiciously Gerrard despite the flirtations with Jose Mourinhorsquos Chelsea was adored though the longedfor title proved as elusive as it had in his teenage yearsThe medal haul or the absence of one in particular doesnrsquot really matter Gerrard epitomised his club in a way that no other player has in the Premier League era Only John Terry at Chelsea comes close What hersquos given to this city politicians havenrsquot given to this city said Brendan Rodgers before Saturdayrsquos match against Crystal PalaceYou see in Barcelona they have the quote lsquomore than a clubrsquo You look at Steven Gerrard and he is more than footballFor those of a certain vintage there will only ever be one No 1 lsquoKing Kennyrsquo Dalgish won three European Cups and five league titles as a player before winning three more as a manager Gerrard for all those times when he dragged a far lesser team to glory will be remembered as a close second For a guy who left school at 15 my vocabulary is not that great said Dalglish once There is no way I could extol the virtues of Steven Gerrard and do him justice