Stevie G’s gold dust

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has double reason to be proud of his latest accolade, Writers’ Award Player of the Year 2009.

For in the wake of the announcement, reaction by football fans across the Premiership has been one of praise, rather than sour grapes.

How different to the nasty gripes which followed the PFA’s choice of Ryan Giggs for their Player of the Year, a title for which Stevie G was also short-listed. Giggs wrongly received plenty of flax, given his lack of appearance for Manchester United this season and the belief that the award was more for outstanding performance over the years as opposed to an illustrious season.

No-one can take that away from Gerrard. He has been an absolute inspiration, a talisman for Liverpool and, but for his injury spell during some vital last games, could and probably would have made all the difference to the Reds’ title challenge.

Gerrard has notched up so many successes and accolades during his career that it’s hard to believe he will be only 29 at the end of this month. He is one of only 16 Liverpool players to have scored more than 100 goals for his team and there have been some absolute crackers.

Gerrard has it all. Charm, charisma, speed, skill, agility, the ability to perform in a variety of positions and the cool head to lead where others will follow. But he has that additional quality no amount of money or training will buy. He has the golden touch. Put Gerrard on to the field when things seem down and out and it’s like sprinkling gold-dust on to the pitch.

Who will ever forget his incredible show of fortitude during the Champions League final in Istanbul in 2005? Apparently down and out with a 3-0 deficit against AC Milan, even die-hard Liverpool fans were switching off their televisions and leaving the stadium in their droves. But just nine minutes after coming back out of the tunnel, Stevie had turned the tide to begin one of the greatest comebacks in years and eventually lifted the cup in front of delirious fans.

And then, in 2006, he did it again, scoring a dramatic last-minute equaliser against West Ham in the FA Cup final at Cardiff to force extra-time and the victory on penalties for Liverpool.

Captain Fantastic, as he has become known, as won virtually every piece of silverware there is going and numerous titles. He concedes that the Writers´Award Player of the Year 2009 is one of his proudest achievements to date.

What Gerrard now needs to do is to win the Premiership with Liverpool, the only accolade eluding him. Manager Rafael Benitez knows what he has got in Stevie G and realises he is the man who can make all the difference between success and narrow failure. Gerrard may well wear red and be a Red through and through but sometimes, on that rare occasion, a player transcends all club rivalry and wins the admiration of all, no matter what their allegiance. Gerrard is one of them.