A former Liverpool wonderkid who Steven Gerrard once tipped for greatness is now playing for a League Two club at age 25.
Gerrard, 45, is widely regarded as one of England’s greatest ever midfielders alongside the likes of Paul Scholes and Frank Lampard, with the trio often debated by fans.
In his 710 Liverpool appearances, Gerrard produced 186 goals and 155 assists and, at times, single-handedly dragged his side to victory – notably in the 2006 FA Cup final against West Ham United.
And once the Liverpudlian called time on his playing career after a spell with Major League Soccer outfit LA Galaxy in 2016, he embarked on a career in coaching.
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First, Gerrard undertook the role of head coach of Liverpool’s Under 18/19 side in 2017 and helped develop the next generation of talent – including Curtis Jones - for the 20-time Premier League champions.
At the time, the Scouser claimed that he had aged significantly due to the demands of the job, before he then went on to manage Rangers, where he won the Scottish Premiership during the 2020/21 campaign – stopping rivals Celtic from winning ten consecutive titles.
He then returned to English football with Aston Villa but was ultimately sacked in October 2022 following a poor run of form.
By July 2023, the Englishman was back in the dugout, this time joining Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq.
Several Premier League stars, such as Demarai Gray, Jordan Henderson, and Georginio Wijnaldum, followed Gerrard to the Gulf State before he parted ways with the club in January of this year.
It’s unclear if Gerrard will return to management, but it’s fair to say he’s worked with several top-class footballers.
However, he once claimed that an 18-year-old Liverpool academy product was “the best” he’d seen at that age.
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo in 2017, Gerrard praised left-back Adam Lewis.
"If Adam can keep his consistency up I don't think he'll be around this team much longer,” Gerrard said.
"I want to keep him for as long as I can, but for me, he's such a threat on the left side.
"Going forward, I haven't seen anyone as good as him at that age in terms of quality and what he can deliver in the final third."
Fast forward almost eight years, and Lewis’ career has not played out as Gerrard may have anticipated.
After making just one senior appearance for the Reds, during a League Cup tie against Shrewsbury in 2020, the defender was loaned four times – to Amiens, Plymouth, Livingston and Newport County – before joining Morecambe on a permanent deal in 2024.
Earlier this summer, he joined League Two Chesterfield after his Shrimps contract expired.
Topics: Football, Steven Gerrard, Liverpool, League Two
Luke Davies