Football Features

The story of Steven Gerrard’s legendary Liverpool career told in 12 era-defining stats

By Ben Green

Published: 14:13, 10 December 2021

It’s a weird feeling, seeing Steven Gerrard’s name associated with a Premier League club that isn’t Liverpool.

The Anfield Hall of Famer will return to his sacred home this weekend as his rejuvenated Aston Villa take on Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in the Premier League. It’s an emotionally-charged occasion that is brimming with subplots and a palpable anticipation. Gerrard vs Liverpool is the headline act, a curious twist of fate.

Ahead of what promises to be an absolute tear-jerker on Merseyside, an unexpected Anfield return, with many believing Gerrard would one day succeed Klopp, we’ve relived the career of one of the club’s greatest-ever players. This is Gerrard’s story in the red and white of his boyhood club through 12 era-defining stats.


Liverpool vs Aston Villa odds with William Hill

  • Liverpool to win (2/9) | Draw (11/2) | Aston Villa to win (11/1)
  • Enhanced odds: Mohamed Salah to score two or more is 3/1 (was 5/2)
  • Enhanced odds: Diogo Jota to have over two shots on target is 7/1 (was 3/1)

18+ only. Be Gamble Aware. Odds in this article are correct at 14:00, 10/12/2021.


1. A Final Fiend

To say Gerrard loved a final would be a gross understatement. During a trophy-laden career that saw him collect nine pieces of silverware, the midfield magician was never one to shy away from the big occasion. In fact, he is the only footballer in history to score in an FA Cup final, a League Cup final, a Uefa Cup final and a Uefa Champions League Final, the latter of which came during Liverpool’s ‘Miracle of Istanbul’ triumph over AC Milan. Not to mention his last-gasp thunderbolt in the 2006 FA Cup final against West Ham… 

2. Most European goals for Liverpool

As well as finals, Gerrard also loved a midweek continental night. He is currently Liverpool’s record goalscorer in European matches after netting on 41 occasions. During that time, he has scored against the likes of Arsenal, Real Madrid, Marseille, Porto, Atletico Madrid and Napoli, netting a hat-trick against the latter, a brace in a 4-0 win over Juande Ramos’ Los Blancos in 2009, and against the Gunners in a 4-2 quarter-final triumph at Anfield in 2008.

3. A Premier League centurion

Only four players have scored 100 or more goals for Liverpool in the Premier League. Mohamed Salah recently joined that exclusive club, which is currently occupied by Michael Owen (118), Gerrard (120) and Robbie Fowler (128). Not bad for a midfielder. His best return came in the 2008/09 season where he scored 16 Premier League goals to earn yet another position in the PFA Team of the Year…

4. Most PFA TOTY appearances

As things currently stand, Gerrard has made the most appearances of any player in the PFA Team of the Year, earning a place in the annual XI a record eight times. Incredibly, he managed to place in the TOTY for six successive seasons, starting in 2003/04 and ending in 2008/09. Either side of that historic run, Gerrard earned an extra appearance, his first in 2000/01 and his last in 2013/14 (he registered 13 assists in this season, the most in the Premier League that campaign).

5. Third-most appearances for the Reds

Gerrard represented his boyhood club on 710 occasions across all competitions, spanning 17 years. That places him above Liverpool immortals Ray Clemence (665), Ian Rush (660) and Bruce Grobbelaar (628). Just ahead of him in the all-time charts are former team-mate Jamie Carragher (737) and Ian Callaghan (857).

6. Most penalties scored

Gerrard’s name almost became synonymous with worldies during his playing career, such was his penchant for producing the spectacular, but he also garnered a reputation for his penalty-taking ability. During his Liverpool career, Gerrard netted 47 times from 12 yards, which remains a club record to this day for most spot-kicks converted in the fabled red jersey.

7. Second-most Premier League Player of the Month awards

During his Premier League career, Gerrard collected the Player of the Month accolade on six occasions, which Harry Kane has since matched. The only player to record a better tally than the England duo is Sergio Aguero, who claimed the monthly gong seven times during his glittering career with Manchester City.

8. Joint-most Champions League assists for Liverpool

This one could be surpassed this season. James Milner recently levelled with Gerrard for most assists in the Champions League for the Reds (excluding qualifiers). The duo have set up their teammates on 12 occasions in Europe’s premier knockout tournament. Milner, for his part, recently joined Gerrard on this esteemed playmaker pedestal after he delivered for Sadio Mane in the 5-1 win over Porto, while functioning as an auxiliary right-back.

9. A UCL/UEL double

Only six players in the history of the Champions League/European Cup and the Europa League/UEFA Cup have netted in both finals of each competition. Gerrard is one of those six. Among those to do so are Allan Simonsen, who won two UEFA Cups with Borussia Monchengladbach and reached the European Cup Final in 1977, Dmitri Alenichev, who famously scored for Jose Mourinho’s Champions League-winning Porto, Hernan Crespo, Pedro and Diego Godin. Gerrard, for his part, netted against Milan in the 2005 Champions League Final and Alaves in the 2001 UEFA Cup Final.

10. The Merseyside derby master

Gerrard, as mentioned, loved the big occasion, and they don’t come much bigger from a Liverpool perspective than the Merseyside derby. A hero on one side of Stanley Park, and a villain on the other, Gerrard remains the only player to score a hat-trick in a Premier League Merseyside derby. He only lost five of his 33 games against Everton across all competitions.

On top of that, Gerrard’s nine Premier League goals against Everton makes him Liverpool’s most prolific player in the competition for Merseyside derbies. In total against the Toffees, Gerrard managed 10 goals, two red cards, 17 wins and one thumping hat-trick in the 2011/12 season, a historic 3-0 triumph in front of a raucous Anfield audience, with Sir Kenny Dalglish as manager.

11. Old Trafford’s most unwelcome

No Premier League player has scored more Premier League goals for an away team at Old Trafford than Gerrard (5), whose final two came as penalties under Brendan Rodgers in the 2013/14 season.

12. Most international caps while a Liverpool player

Gerrard managed to rack up 114 England caps during his career, all of which came while he was donning the colours of Liverpool (naturally). By the time his final season as a player at LA Galaxy came around he was already out of the international frame. Those 114 appearances for the Three Lions makes him England’s fourth-most capped player ever, below only Peter Shilton (125), Wayne Rooney (120) and David Beckham (115).