Steven Gerrard, a legacy tarnished?

   Without a shadow of a doubt, Steven Gerrard has been one of the best English Midfielders to grace the Premier League, but as he enters his last month playing in England, I hardly feel that he is leaving in a satisfied way. For over a decade he has been Liverpool's go to man, often rescuing them from the depths and winning them crucial points and cup titles, most memorable was the 2005 Champions League triumph over AC Milan, where he was Man of the Match. This was his finest hour in the Red of Liverpool, and for this achievement he must be thought of as one of the greatest players to ever wear the Liverpool Strip. However something that will always play on the back of the Englishman's mind will be the fact that he has never been able to secure a Premier League medal. Many Liverpool fans see him as the greatest Premier League midfielder, can someone who has never won the Premier League be the greatest of all time? 


   Reporter to Zinedine Zidane after France's 2006 Semi final victory; "Zinedine, how does it feel to be known as the greatest midfielder of all time?" 
Zidane: "Ask Paul Scholes". (Daily mail)

   In my opinion I don't think Steven Gerrard is close to being the greatest Premier League midfielder of all time, and I believe his failings over the last two seasons have really put a downer on his Liverpool career. That unfortunate mistake last season in the penultimate game against Chelsea is the reason that his form has hugely dropped and the reason his legacy is going to be left a little tarnished. To be honest you have to feel a little sympathy for him, coming so close to finally securing that league title he has been so longing for, and one mistake and it was all over. This really does transcend how football can be a cruel game. In contrast I think it's essential that we remember his achievements, as mentioned above, he was crucial in Liverpool's successful 2005 Champions League campaign, and a year later he won the F.A cup with a truly outstanding strike against West Ham, and understandably this is why he should be remembered as one of Liverpool's greatest.

   But how does he compare to other Premier League legends such as Patrick Viera, Paul Scholes and Frank Lampard. Taking away the fact that all of the above have won not just one Premier League medal, but three or more. Also all of the above individuals have ended their careers in the best ways possible. Patrick Viera's last kick of a ball for Arsenal was winning the F.A cup in a match where they where being dominated by rivals Manchester United. But he won them the trophy with a winning penalty, and his legacy was finished in a perfect way for him personally. Frank Lampard won Chelsea the U.E.FA cup in 2013 with a great individual goal in the final, and he then scored a hat-full of important goals in his last season for the club, where he lead Chelsea to an Honorable 3rd place. Then there was Paul Scholes, at 34 years of age and at the end of his Manchester United career he intercepted a poor pass from Andreas Iniesta and unleashed a 30 yard wonder strike against Barcelona F.C at Old Trafford to book his side a place in the Champions League Final, which they eventually won. Also at the age of 34, Steven Gerrard hopelessly saw his Liverpool side beaten in the F.A cup semi-final against minnows Aston Villa, and he was largely outplayed by Fabian Delph. 

   It is for these reasons that I find it hard to see how Steven Gerrard can be considered as the greatest Premier League Midfielder of all time. Yes, his contribution has been excellent to Liverpool football club, but his lack of trophies won whilst at Liverpool means for me he cannot be considered as one of the best, as trophies in football are what essentially symbolize success. If you look at the best players in the world, their honours list is huge, and they have all won their domestic league. I think it is so important to have a League trophy, it symbolizes the dominance that you have had over a long period of time, and is the hardest trophy to win in my opinion. You need luck, quality in every area of the field, and perseverance to win the Premier League, and only the best sides are able to win it. One aspect of Steven Gerrard's career that has to be praised is his loyalty, and the way he has sacrificed his own personal accumulation of trophy in order to stay at Liverpool and spend nearly his whole career with them. Loyalty is a fading trend in today's game and it is crucial that his loyalty should be noticed. I also feel that the reason some of us think so highly of Steven Gerrard is predominantly because he is English and naturally as English people we generally think players are better than they are. For example you only have to compare someone like Gianluca Zambrotta, arguably has less ability than Steven Gerrard, but has won the Italian League with Juventus and the World Cup with Italy. Enough Said.  

   To conclude however, no matter how loyal you are, it doesn't mean you are successful in football. People play the game to win trophies, that's a fact, and to put it simply Steven Gerrard has not won enough to be considered one of the Premier League Greats for me. Players like Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush should be seen as  legends in Premier League and Liverpool folk-law, as they have won the Premier League for the club as well as many other honours in far shorter time periods. Steven Gerrard was a great player, I'm not saying in anyway he was not, but looking at the bigger picture, for me he is not even close to some of the greatest midfield players who have graced the League in previous years.