Steven Gerrard is revisiting one of his most painful moments.
Gerrard, in his recently published autobiography “My Story,” revealed what then-Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said to his players on April 27, 2014 following the captain’s infamous slip against Chelsea, according to Yahoo Sports. Gerrard’s fateful slip of possession allowed Demba Ba to gain possession and shoot the game-winning goal past goalkeeper Simon Mignolet unimpeded on the stroke of halftime.
“My Story” takes fans into the dressing room minutes later.
“I had been straining the whole half to make something happen, so had Luis (Suarez),”Gerrard wrote. “Chelsea just kept blunting us. And then I’d slipped. The dressing room was hushed. ‘Look,’ Brendan said, imploring the other players, ‘if anyone deserves to be bailed out it’s him.’ His finger pointed at me. ‘Your captain needs you to all pay him back. The amount of times he’s pulled this club out of a mess and changed impossible situations and got players out of trouble are the stuff of legend.’
“‘Now it’s time you repay him. You’ve got forty-five minutes to do it.’ Brendan looked at me. ‘Stevie, forget it,’ he said. ‘It happens. Let’s all go out and win this game. We can do it.'”
Rodgers’ words didn’t galvanize the Reds enough to overtake Chelsea that day.
The Reds’ 2-0 loss to Chelsea ended their 11-game winning streak and handed Manchester City the initiative in a title race Liverpool ultimately lost by two points.
Kudos to Gerrard for his forthrightness about what’s perhaps the most painful moment in his career.
Gerrard thinks about “cruel” slip every day >>
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@TSBible
