Football fans might well be fickle but Steven Gerrard most certainly is not.
The Liverpool skipper wasn’t moved by a nice moment at Stamford Bridge this afternoon when he received a unanimous ovation from both sets of supporters when he was brought off during a 1-1 draw with Chelsea.
Gerrard receives a standing ovation from both sets of fans as he is replaced late on. #LFC #CFC pic.twitter.com/lIVLdmSr9u
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) May 10, 2015
Gerrard was getting his usual stick all afternoon up to that point when he left the London pitch for a final time and he wasn’t having what he saw as ‘a couple of seconds’ of respect.
Instead, the Merseyside legend insisted that he only cared about what Liverpool fans thought of him and, with them, he has been loved from day one.
“I was more happy with the ovation from the Liverpool fans,” Gerrard spoke in a brilliant interview with Sky Sports after the game. “I think Chelsea fans have showed respect for a couple of seconds for me but they were slaughtering me all game so I’m not going to get drawn into wishing the Chelsea fans very well.
“It was nice of them to turn up for once today.
“When you get a standing ovation at a stadium, it’s always nice but what’s important to me is the support from the Liverpool fans and they’ve been with me since day one.”
Gerrard also walked off to the applause of Jose Mourinho and he did have special praise for the Blues boss who he described as the best in the business and the only reason his head was ever turned from Liverpool. Three times.
“I’ve got huge respect for him,” Gerrard spoke on Mourinho. “He’s the best manager in the world for me. I would have signed for him three times if I wasn’t a Liverpool fan, if Liverpool weren’t in my heart. He’s the reason why my head was turned on a couple of occasions but he understood why I couldn’t do it.
“Because I love Liverpool Football Club.
“I did at the time [think about what he could’ve done at other clubs with Mourinho] but, for me, I always said to to myself and when I sat down with my dad and my brother, if I win a couple of trophies at Liverpool, it will mean more to me if I won 10 with Chelsea, or Inter, or Real. It always means more when you win for your people.”
The day started with last year’s runners-up having to give Chelsea a guard of honour for clinching the league title last week and that wasn’t something that sat well with Stevie G.
“Listen, it’s not nice when you’re doing it for other people,” he said. “But, you know, this football club has always shown respect and, with a guard of honour, comes tradition. Chelsea have won the league, they’re champions, they’ve got a terrific manager and they deserved the guard of honour.
“It certainly wasn’t nice doing it.”
