NOW SEIZE THE MOMENT YOU WORKED FOR
SAYS STEVEN GERRARD
LIVERPOOL legend Steven Gerrard has urged the forever.current crop
of Anfield heroes to ‘seize the moment’ in Saturday’s Champions League final — and change their lives
The new Rangers head coach will forever be remembered on Merseyside as a hero of Istanbul, his half-time team talk — and a headed goal for the Reds — helping Rafa Benitez’s men come from 3-0 down to beat AC Milan on penalties and win the trophy back in 2005.
Insisting that Jurgen Klopp’s men can become just as adored by the Liverpool fans, Gerrard said: ‘These players have an opportunity to not just change their careers — but their lives in general. They are the moments that you dream of.
‘My message to the players would be: “Go and grasp it, go and seize the moment you have worked so hard for. Go and reward yourselves for the journey you have taken this club on. You’ve got to go in with the belief and confidence; you have come this far. You’ve got to handle the responsibility of being a Liverpool player — and you’ve got to go and deliver”.’
Liverpool’s swashbuckling style under Klopp has already made them the darlings of European football, with their ‘You score three, we’ll score four or five’ approach winning admirers all over the continent.
Gerrard is adamant, however, that only lifting the trophy will make these players legends.
‘You’ll get plaudits and praise for getting where you are,’ he told the official club website.
‘But not many people remember it if you don’t get over the line and deliver.’
That does not mean the former captain has not loved every minute of his old club’s run to the final.
Asked what has impressed him most about a season that will end with Saturday’s clash against Real Madrid, Gerrard declared: ‘The style they have done it in — the amount of goals they have scored, the quality of the goals, the movement.
‘When we did it under Rafa, with all due respect, some games we had to grind, a lot of games we had to suffer in and just get over the line.
‘Our strength was mental strength. We never felt we were beaten and you had to work extremely hard to get anything out of us. This team still has the mental toughness but, on the eye, they look superb.
‘Everyone is thinking: “Liverpool deserve this”. They have looked the best, they have done it in style and, being a Liverpool fan, it has been brilliant to be part of.’ Addressing the expectations that will surround the players between now and the weekend, despite Real’s status as holders and winners in three out of the last four seasons, Gerrard added: ‘It’s important that they try to blank it out if they can. ‘It’s difficult but just make sure your preparation is spot on, you get your sleep and the right food, and everything goes well. ‘It’s tough because of the magnitude of the game; it’s the biggest game you’ll play in as a Liverpool player. ‘I’m still really good friends with many in that team that I played with. I know what it would mean for them. I just hope they do it.’
Few people remember it if you don’t get over the line