Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard announced his retirement from international duty yesterday after a poor World Cup with England this summer. He cited he wanted to look after his body due to his age and wants to be in the right shape for the Champions League and all domestic fronts for the Kop next season. Gerrard will go down as one of the English greats and one of the most all rounded center midfielders off this generation even though he could never replicate his Liverpool magic to the international front.
It will be sad to see a player of his quality and leadership leave the England fold but what is England's loss is Liverpool's gain. Gerrard can leave the pressures of England duty behind and go back to being one of the most dominating center mid's in European football bar his age. We may not have seen the swashbuckling and gung ho attacking Steven Gerrard in the all red Liverpool shirt in an England shirt but. We cannot deny his passion and work rate he gave in a 3 Lions shirt. He changed his game, sacrificed his style of play to accommodate Frank Lampard whose also had a disappointing England career minus his exploits for Chelsea. Both he and Gerrard are similar players but Lampard was more offensive and were tipped to be big game players for England but both failed to shine an England shirt even though they were promised to be world beaters at the international stage. Not many players of today are willing to change their preferred position and game for fellow team mates and managers so lets tip our hats off to the Gerrard for that and was a shield for England in that midfield. Lets not forget the assists and attacks he's started off and how crucial he was to England qualifying in major tournaments during his 14 year stint. He may not have been effective like he has been for Liverpool. But the 114 cap legend did have a part to play in England's best results in the past decade and England qualifying in this years World Cup.
Steven Gerrard one of the best players ever to play in his position. Captain Marvel who played with his heart on his sleeve like a battling soldier. The modern day English player with the mind and passion of an old style English player who wants to win and be the best where money and fame is not his priorities like most English players of today. The stigma will always be there of him not playing at his best levels just like he's done at Anfield season in and season out. But we can say that about Thierry Henry in a France shirt, Lionel Messi for Argentina and even ex Liverpool great John Barnes but even he is still applauded as one of the best wingers ever to play the beautiful game in this country. But what ever he has or hasn't done in an England shirt is that his kind and character as a player are a few or extinct in the English game and his quality will be missed all hail King Stevie G.
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