STEVEN GERRARD admits he would be happy to give up his hero status at Liverpool in exchange for an Aston Villa win on Saturday as the Anfield great prepares to return to his former club.
Gerrard, who enjoyed a stellar 17-year playing career with Liverpool, returns there just a month into his reign as Villa boss determined to shut out the “noise”.
The 41-year-old, who left Rangers last month to move to the Premier League, has won three of his first four games in charge, with the only setback being a defeat to champions Manchester City.
“I’m going back to a club where I spent many years and it brings a smile to my face for a couple of reasons,” Gerrard said.
“One, I’ve got a good relationship with a lot of people at the club. I had a fantastic time there, a really good journey, I’m a local boy. It was the team I supported growing up and I will always support that team.
“But at the same time it brings a smile to my face because I’ve got the opportunity to go there and compete against a good team and a good manager and try to win the game. That’s my only focus.
“If I’m on the bus heading back down the M6 towards Birmingham and I’m not the most popular at Anfield, so be it.”
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp started his own press conference on Friday by joking that he would not take questions about Gerrard.
Klopp was full of praise for Gerrard during the briefing and claimed he is destined to manage the club one day, adding: “I think it will definitely happen and that is good for everybody.”
- Klopp advice -
Gerrard, who started his coaching career under Klopp in the club’s youth system, said he was grateful for the German’s help.
“The best bit of advice I got from him was take your own team and do it your own way,” he said.
“Evolve, start your own journey and I’ll give you whatever support you need.”
Just a fantastic game of hurling well done Kilkenny and hard luck Galway.
Were the managers nice to each other when they shook hands? That’s what really matters
@thomas walsh: Ouchy.
@thomas walsh: let it go , let it go ……….
@Finnster: I’m not the one who needs to let it go. I didn’t think it was a big deal
@thomas walsh: ah so your happy and not moaning today because you won, makes sense. Try win and lose the same…
@Sea__Point: I have no idea who you’re talking about. Because I clearly stated yesterday that Galway were the better team and deserved the win. So run along and find your drama somewhere else
Cracking game. You can just never write off the Cats! Phenomenal how it’s just ingrained in every Kilkenny youngster to never lie down and battle to the bitter end. Really commendable trait and typical of any Kilkenny team. Five points down entering the 2nd extra-time period and clawed it back. Drennan looks like the real deal.
@Ultan Corcoran: two penalty missed were a killer but can’t really criticise collins though, he was exceptionally. Few silly mistakes and Galways puckout stratigy was terrible. But fair play to KK. Never dipped their heads. Always believed they could get back into in.
@Cormac Flanagan: Yeah fully agree. Especially with the puck outs.. God they were killing themselves putting them down on that big no.3 Rowe or Purcell.. he was a monster in the air for KK. Anywhere else they might have had a fighting chance.
Catholic Moore was painful talking uk this Galway team. But they will be at least 4 or 5 most definitely featuring for the seniors in the next years
2 classic Kilkenny v Galway games. Well done both teams. But as a cat we had luck on our side. What a great game hurling is
14 frees to 6 seems the obvious difference. The free against Greg Thomas in the last minute of normal time when he was being held by the kilkenny man while not even touch the kilkenny lad himself summed up some of the perplexing refereeing. Tbf I don’t know how he called that penalty against molloy too but it doesn’t balance out the difference in total frees given.
Great see so many players from the South of KK on the team.
Great to see so many players from the South of KK on the team