Steven Gerrard is praised and hero-worshipped around world. He is treated like a deity on Merseyside and widely acknowledged as one of the finest players of his generation.
And yet he comes across as a worrywart who is both incredibly hard on himself and takes any criticism to heart far easier than praise. That famous furrowed brow is testament to his glass half empty perfectionism.
One particular barb that clearly still grates is when Sir Alex Ferguson questioned his greatness in his second autobiography in 2013. Despite admitting to once trying to sign the Liverpool legend, Fergie wrote in his book:
“Lampard, for me, was a marvellous servant for Chelsea. But I didn’t think of him as an elite international footballer. And I’m one of the few who felt Gerrard was not a top, top player.”
The judgement wasn’t explained – it was just left there in the ether. In that sense it was the worst possible insult for Gerrard, who admits himself to being one of life’s over-thinkers.
In a Q&A session with the Mail to promote his own autobiography, Gerrard was this week asked ‘If you could ask one question to a sportsman/sportswoman [what would it be]?’
His answer said much about Fergie’s ability to get into the LA Galaxy man’s head:
‘I’d ask Alex Ferguson, ‘Do you really think that I am average?”
Gerrard is clearly a man who clings to rare criticism over a shower of praise.
