Gerard Houllier Says Liverpool Captaincy Boosted Steven Gerrard’s Game to New Levels; Former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier has revealed how Steven Gerrard told him it was the “best day of his career” when the Frenchman handed the captain’s armband to the midfielder for the first time. The Kop hero is set to become the Reds’ longest-serving captain in the club’s illustrious history this season and Houllier believes that handing Gerrard the responsibility at a young age helped him to realize his potential as a great leader. “I met Stevie after the Champions League final in Istanbul and asked him if that was the best day of his life,” the ex-Anfield boss told the Liverpool Echo. “He said no, and told me the best day of his career was when I gave him the captain’s armband at Liverpool. “Don’t forget he was 22 when I made him captain but you could see he was a natural born leader and he could have an influence and an impact on everybody.” Houllier recalled how he was taken aback by Gerrard’s leadership qualities beyond his years when watching him in an U-19s game — a catalyst in the Huyton native’s rapid promotion to the senior squad. “I remember Steve Heighway asked me to watch a game because I told him I needed a right-winger,” Houllier added. ”He called me to a game where Richie Partridge was involved and he thought he would be the answer to our problems on the right. “I think it was an U-19 game against Blackburn, and I remember in the middle of the park there was this boy I didn’t know at the time going box to box, shouting at people and already behaving like a leader. He was quick, he was tackling and could see a pass quickly. “Even if we had taken Richie with us and given him a chance, I wanted to have Stevie. At the time the coaches said we couldn’t because he’s always injured. I said: ‘I’m the boss, so he is coming with us.’ “Sammy Lee and Patrice Bergues looked after him very carefully and gradually he became the player we know today.” Full Story in comments below -aaRon-
Posted on: Wed, 31 Jul 2013 19:16:46 +0000
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