Steven Gerrard knew that he had just seen a future legend after watching the England player at the age of 12
In the 90s, shortly before Steven Gerrard made his debut in Liverpool to start an emblematic career, the young midfielder heard of an Everton Academy rival star making waves and decided to take and take a look.
Gerrard came by the Academy of his childhood club, making his debut in Liverpool at the age of 18 in 1998 and making more than 500 appearances in a glorious career of 17 years in Anfield where he scored 120 goals and won eight major trophies, including the Champions League and two FA Cups.
The emblematic midfielder is one of the few players to represent England more than 100 times, with only three men playing more for the three Lions – so even as a young person, he has experienced quality when he saw it.
Among these players who have more than the 114 caps in Gerrard England, one is his compatriot Liverpudlian Wayne Rooney, who represented Liverpool Rivals Everton in adolescence.
And reflecting on the rise of Rooney, Gerrard said that his reputation had crossed the Liverpool division to the point that he was convinced to take a look when Rooney was only 12 years old.
“I had heard everything about the special talent that everyone was planning Telegraph. “I wanted to see him for myself, so I went to one of the junior matches that takes place on the Littlewoods fields in Netherton on the Merseyside.
“We could see how good he was, so much stronger and technically gifted than everyone. He was not only the best player, he had this fanfaron and the style of play that we can all identify now. He also knew where the bottom of the net was. I moved away from this first match knowing that I had seen someone with the potential to become a better player.”
Gerrard’s prediction was quickly proven when Rooney made his first team debut for Everton at the age of 16, bursting on the stage and winning a huge move to Manchester United when he was only 18 years old.
He had made his debut in Senior England a year earlier at the age of 17, quickly widing at the elite level.
Gerrard continued: “When he made his senior four-year debut (after this afternoon, in front of a young Gerrard), everyone on the Merseyside already knew the name and had just waited for him to explode. He announced himself with this brilliant and memorable goal against David Seaman in this famous match Everton V Arsenal in 2002, and those of us in Squad in England time before his time.
“When this happened in 2003 Wayne and I immediately clicked on the field. In a few days with England, you saw a footballer with the possibility of stopping a training session with a moment of magic, teammates wishing to stop and applaud a goal or a skill. There are players who look at the part instantly and you will know that they will take the step.”
Gerrard was a rival on the field while Rooney represented Everton and Manchester United, but was a regular teammate at the international level and described his friend as one of the biggest English players of all time.
(Tagstotranslate) Steven Gerrard (T) Liverpool (T) Everton (T) Premier League