Another quality player brought through the Liverpool Youth Academy, Gerrard has had several opportunities to show the manager how good he is since his debut in November 1998.
Gerrard is a fans' favourite and has become a regular in the first team and the England squad, although a groin injury has ruled him out of the 2002 World Cup Finals in Japan and Korea.
The 2003/04 season saw him promoted to club captain and agree a new deal keeping him at Liverpool until 2007. However, during the Euro 2004 finals in Portugal he was very nearly tempted by a move to Chelsea, only to change his mind at the last minute and declare his commitment to Liverpool.
This procedure was repeated in the summer of 2005, but this time he put pen to paper on a four-year extension with no get-out clauses, insisting he wants to remain at Liverpool for the rest of his playing career.