Steven Gerrard addresses Liverpool exit timing and 'sacrifice' he would have made for Jürgen Klopp
What if Steven Gerrard had stayed at Anfield for just four more months? Every Liverpool supporter has pondered that question at least once, imagining our legendary captain running around the pitch under Jürgen Klopp's heavy-metal football.
Now, Gerrard himself has admitted to the single biggest regret of his playing career and it centre's around the gamble he wishes he had taken.
Gerrard brought down the curtain on his iconic 17-year Liverpool first-team career in the summer of 2015, making a move across the Atlantic to join MLS side LA Galaxy. His final match came just four-and-a-half months before Brendan Rodgers departed and Klopp arrived to transform the club.
The timeline remains one of the most agonising "sliding doors" moments in modern Anfield history. Speaking to an audience in Singapore on behalf of TNT Sports, the 46-year-old former skipper opened up on the contract decision that kept him from playing under the German manager who eventually led us back to the summit of European and English football.
“I would, I would sacrifice a lot of things, professionally and personally, to have the opportunity to play for Jurgen Klopp.”
Steven Gerrard’s 17th and final campaign at Anfield was a transition year for both player and club. Following Luis Suárez's departure and Daniel Sturridge's injury problems, Brendan Rodgers' side struggled to replicate the explosive form of the 2013/14 title challenge. Despite managing a reduced physical load, Gerrard finished as Liverpool's top scorer in all competitions.
Key Highlights & Key Moments
Top Goalscorer: Gerrard scored 13 goals across all competitions, leading Liverpool's scoring charts ahead of Raheem Sterling (11 goals).
Champions League Return: Scored a late winning penalty against Ludogorets Razgrad and a signature free-kick against FC Basel in the group stage.
Red Card vs Manchester United: Came off the bench at half-time against rivals Manchester United at Anfield in March 2015 and received a red card just 38 seconds later.
Anfield Farewell: Made his final appearance at Anfield on May 16, 2015, in a 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace, receiving a guard of honour from both sets of players.
Final Goal: Scored his 186th and final goal for Liverpool in his last official match, a 6-1 defeat to Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium on May 24, 2015.
Gerrard explained how his final contract discussions at the club played out, revealing that Liverpool offered him an extension, but honest internal chats about his changing role convinced him to walk away.
“I was offered a year contract at the back end of my Liverpool career to stay for one more year,” Gerrard said. “But I was having conversations with the current Liverpool staff and the conversations were more like, you're going to be more of a bit-part player, play less minutes, you know, not as active as I would have liked to have been.”
At thirty-five years old, having carried the club through countless heavy nights from Istanbul to Cardiff the former captain naturally struggled with the thought of sitting on the bench every week. However, the legendary midfielder admits he would have gladly accepted a reduced role on the pitch had he known who was right around the corner.
“But if I would have known Jurgen was definitely going to come, I didn't know at that time when I made the decision,” Gerrard continued.
“If I knew Jurgen was going to come, I would have gambled and stayed and tried to impress Jurgen and maybe have that opportunity at the back end of my career. But unfortunately, I made a decision to move. In hindsight, I would have stayed and took the gamble.”
For those of us who watched Gerrard carry entire teams on his back for over a decade, hearing him speak so candidly cuts deep. You can fully understand why he left when he did no fan wanted to see our greatest-ever player reduced to five-minute cameos under a struggling manager.
But picturing Gerrard in that early Klopp side, even as a seasoned option off the bench to guide young players like Jordan Henderson, remains an irresistible thought experiment.
Gerrard finished his Liverpool career with 710 appearances and 186 goals, lifting two FA Cups, three League Cups, the UEFA Cup, and the 2005 Champions League.
Meanwhile, Klopp created a new golden era at Anfield, securing the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, two League Cups, and the FIFA Club World Cup across a memorable nine-year spell before departing in 2024.
The two icons ultimately missed each other by a matter of months, leaving Kopites everywhere and Gerrard himself to forever wonder what might have been.
