Steven Gerrard says he would have stayed at Liverpool for Jürgen Klopp
Steven Gerrard has said he would have remained at Liverpool and accepted a reduced role had he known Jürgen Klopp was about to take charge, describing the chance to play under the German as one he would have sacrificed greatly to experience.
Why it matters for Liverpool
Gerrard’s departure in the summer of 2015 came just before a defining change at Anfield. Liverpool ended Brendan Rodgers’ tenure four months after the former captain’s farewell, with Klopp appointed in October 2015 to begin an era that reshaped the club’s modern standing.
| Detail | Figure |
|---|---|
| Gerrard first-team appearances for Liverpool | 710 |
| Length of Liverpool first-team association | 17 years |
| Gerrard goals in 2014/15 | 13 |
| Contract extension offered | One year |
| Red card against Manchester United | 38 seconds after entering |
Speaking in Singapore, the former Liverpool captain reflected on a decision made when he was 35 and increasingly aware that his physical level was changing. He left for LA Galaxy in Major League Soccer after being told that another season at Liverpool would likely involve fewer minutes and a supporting role in the squad.
Gerrard said the offer on the table would have kept him at the club for one further year, but discussions with the coaching staff made clear that he would not be as central to the side as he had been throughout his career. Having built his Liverpool career around availability, influence and regular starts, he felt a peripheral role was not the right way to continue.
He instead chose the move to the United States in pursuit of regular football. Yet Klopp’s subsequent arrival altered how he views that choice. Gerrard said that, had Klopp’s appointment been certain before he made his decision, he would have stayed, tried to win over the new manager and taken the risk of a smaller role at the end of his career.
The final campaign under Rodgers had contained both contribution and frustration. Liverpool were adjusting after Luis Suárez’s exit, while Daniel Sturridge’s injury problems affected the side across the season. Gerrard nevertheless finished as the club’s leading scorer with 13 goals in all competitions.
His last year also produced familiar flashes of quality, including a free-kick against FC Basel in the Champions League, alongside the damaging dismissal at Manchester United, when he was sent off 38 seconds after coming on.
Klopp’s arrival brought a more intense style and a renewed energy around Anfield, and Gerrard now believes that prospect would have persuaded him to accept conditions he had previously found difficult. In hindsight, he said, he would have stayed and attempted to make the arrangement work.
