stadium name	Anfield
location	Liverpool, Merseyside, England
coordinates
opened	1884
owner	Liverpool F.C.
operator	Liverpool F.C.
surface	Desso GrassMaster
tenants
seating capacity	45,276
dimensions	by }}

Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,276. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park. Used as a venue during Euro 96, the ground has also hosted numerous England internationals at senior level, and is scheduled to host matches during the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Over the course of its history the stadium has gone through various stages of renovation and development, resulting in the current configuration of four stands: the Spion Kop, Main Stand, Centenary Stand, and Anfield Road. The record attendance at the stadium is 61,905, which was set in a match between Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1952. This record was set before the ground's conversion to an all-seater stadium in 1994; the changes, a result of the Taylor Report, include greatly reduced capacity. Notable features of the stadium include two gates named after former Liverpool managers: Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley. A statue of Shankly is situated outside the stadium. Anfield's public transport links include rail and bus services, but it lacks dedicated parking facilities. The ground is from Lime Street Station.

Plans to replace Anfield with a new 60,000-capacity stadium in adjacent Stanley Park were initiated in 2002, with a provisional opening date of August 2005. Subsequent problems with securing funding for the project, and the state of the financial market since 2008, make it certain as of 2011 that football will continue to be played at Anfield for at least a few more years. Fenway Sports Group's acquisition of Liverpool in 2010 has made the construction of a new stadium doubtful, as they have hinted at a preference to redevelop Anfield.

History

Opened in 1884, Anfield was originally owned by John Orrell, a minor land owner who was a friend of an Everton F.C. member John Houlding. Everton, who previously played at Priory Road, were in need of a new venue owing to the noise produced by the crowd on match days. Orrell lent the pitch to the club in exchange for a small rent. The first match at the ground was between Everton and Earlestown on 28 September 1884, which Everton won 5–0. During Everton's tenure at the stadium, stands were erected for some of the 8,000-plus spectators regularly attending matches, although the ground was capable of holding around 20,000 spectators and occasionally did. The ground was considered of international standard at the time, playing host to the British Home Championship match between England and Ireland in 1889. Anfield's first league match was played on 8 September 1888, between Everton and Accrington F.C. Everton quickly improved as a team, and became Anfield's first league champions in the 1890–91 season.

In 1892, negotiations to purchase the land at Anfield from Orrell escalated into a dispute between Houlding and the Everton F.C. committee over how the club was run. Events culminated in Everton's move to Goodison Park. Houlding was left with an empty stadium, and decided to form a new club to occupy it. The new team was called Liverpool F.C. and Athletic Grounds Ltd, and the club's first match at Anfield was a friendly played in front of 200 people on 1 September 1892, against Rotherham Town. Liverpool won 7–1.

Liverpool's first Football League match at Anfield was played on 9 September 1893, against Lincoln City. Liverpool won 4–0 in front of 5,000 spectators. A new stand capable of holding 3,000 spectators was constructed in 1895 on the site of the present Main Stand. Designed by architect Archibald Leitch, the stand had a distinctive red and white gable, and was similar to the main stand at Newcastle United's ground St James' Park. Another stand was constructed at the Anfield Road end in 1903, built from timber and corrugated iron. After Liverpool had won their second League championship in 1906, a new stand was built along the Walton Breck Road. Local journalist Ernest Edwards, who was the sports editor of newspapers the Liverpool Daily Post and Echo, christened it the Spion Kop; it was named after a famous hill in South Africa where a local regiment had suffered heavy losses during the Boer War in 1900. More than 300 men had died, many of them from Liverpool, as the British army attempted to capture the strategic hilltop. Around the same period a stand was also built along Kemlyn Road.

The ground remained much the same until 1928, when the Kop was redesigned and extended to hold 30,000 spectators, all standing. A roof was erected as well. Many stadia in England had stands named after the Spion Kop. Anfield's was the largest Kop in the country at the time—it was able to hold more supporters than some entire football grounds. In the same year the topmast of the SS Great Eastern, one of the first iron ships, was rescued from the ship breaking yard at nearby Rock Ferry, and was hauled up Everton Valley by a team of horses, to be erected alongside the new Kop. It still stands there, serving as a flag pole.

Floodlights were installed at a cost of £12,000 in 1957. On 30 October they were switched on for the first time for a match against Everton to commemorate the 75-year anniversary of the Liverpool County Football Association. In 1963 the old Kemlyn Road stand was replaced by a cantilevered stand, built at a cost of £350,000, and able to hold 6,700 spectators. Two years later alterations were made at the Anfield Road end, turning it into a large covered standing area. The biggest redevelopment came in 1973, when the old Main Stand was demolished and a new one constructed. At the same time, the pylon floodlights were pulled down and new lights installed along the top of the Kemlyn Road and Main Stands. The new stand was officially opened by the Duke of Kent on 10 March 1973. In the 1980s the paddock in front of the Main Stand was turned into seating, and in 1982 seats were introduced at the Anfield Road end. The Shankly Gates were erected in 1982, a tribute to former manager Bill Shankly; his widow Nessie unlocked them for the first time on 26 August 1982. Across the Shankly Gates are the words You'll Never Walk Alone, the title of the hit song by Gerry & The Pacemakers adopted by Liverpool fans as the club's anthem during Shankly's time as manager. Coloured seats and a police room were added to the Kemlyn Road stand in 1987. After the Hillsborough disaster in 1989 where overcrowding led to the deaths of 96 Liverpool fans, the Taylor Report recommended that all grounds in the country should be converted into all-seater grounds by May 1994. A second tier was added to the Kemlyn Road stand in 1992, turning it into a double-decker layout. It included executive boxes and function suites as well as 11,000 seating spaces. Plans to expand the stand had been made earlier, with the club buying up houses on Kemlyn Road during the 1970s and 1980s, but had to be put on hold until 1990 because two sisters, Joan and Nora Mason, refused to sell their house. When the club reached an agreement with the sisters in 1990, the expansion plans were put into action. The stand—re-named the Centenary Stand—was officially opened on 1 September 1992 by UEFA president Lennart Johansson. The Kop was rebuilt in 1994 after the recommendations of the Taylor Report and became all seated; it is still a single tier, and the capacity was significantly reduced to 12,390.

On 4 December 1997, a bronze statue of Bill Shankly was unveiled at the visitors' centre in front of the Kop. Standing at over tall, the statue depicts Shankly with a fan's scarf around his neck, in a familiar pose he adopted when receiving applause from fans. Inscribed on the statue are the words "Bill Shankly – He Made the People Happy". The Hillsborough memorial is situated alongside the Shankly Gates, and is always decorated with flowers and tributes to the 96 people who died in 1989 as a result of the disaster. At the centre of the memorial is an eternal flame, signifying that those who died will never be forgotten. The most recent structural change to Anfield came in 1998 when the new two-tier Anfield Road end was opened. The stand has encountered a number of problems since its redevelopment; at the beginning of the 1999–2000 season, a series of support poles and stanchions had to be brought in to give extra stability to the top tier of the stand. During Ronnie Moran's testimonial match against Celtic, many fans complained of movement of the top tier. At the same time that the stanchions were inserted, the executive seating area was expanded by two rows in the main stand, lowering the seating capacity in the paddock.

Structures and facilities

Anfield comprises 45,276 seats split between four stands: the Anfield Road end, the Centenary Stand, the Kop, and the Main Stand. The Anfield Road end and Centenary Stand are two-tiered, while the Kop and Main Stand are single-tiered. Entry to the stadium is gained by radio-frequency identification (RFID) smart cards rather than the traditional manned turnstile. This system, used in all 80 turnstiles around Anfield, was introduced in 2005.

The Kop is a large single-tiered stand. Originally a large terraced banking providing accommodation for more than 30,000 spectators, the current incarnation was constructed in 1994–95 and is single-tiered with no executive boxes. The Kop houses the club's museum, the Reducate centre and the official club shop. The Kop is the most-renowned stand at Anfield among home and away supporters, with the people who occupy the stand referred to as kopites. Such was the reputation that the stand had it was claimed that the crowd in the Kop could suck the ball into the goal. Traditionally, Liverpool's most vocal supporters congregate in this stand.

The oldest stand at Anfield is the Main Stand, which was completed in 1982. It is a single-tiered stand that houses the dressing rooms and directors' box. The press and directors VIP box are located in the middle of the stand. The large roof is supported by two thin central uprights, with a large suspended television camera gantry. The players' tunnel and the technical area where the managers and substitutes sit during the match are in the middle of the stand at pitch level. Above the stairs leading down to the pitch hangs a sign stating "THIS IS ANFIELD". Its purpose is to both intimidate the opposition and to bring the Liverpool players who touch it good luck. Accordingly, Liverpool players and coaching staff reach up and place one or both hands on it as they pass underneath. The Centenary Stand is a two-tiered stand. Originally a single-tiered stand called the Kemlyn Road Stand, the second tier was added in 1992 to coincide with the club's centenary. It is located opposite of the Main Stand and houses directors' boxes, which are between the two tiers. The stand also houses the ground's police station.

The Anfield Road stand, on the left side of the Main Stand, houses the away fans during matches. The Anfield Road End was rebuilt in 1965, and multi-coloured seats were added in 1982. Originally a single-tier stand, a further revamp, which was completed in 1998, gave the stand a second-tier providing additional seating.

There are 59 spaces available in the stadium to accommodate wheelchair users who have season tickets; a further 33 spaces are available for general sale and 8 are allocated to away supporters. These spaces are located in the Main Stand, Anfield Road Stand and The Kop. There are 38 spaces available for the visually impaired, which are situated in the paddock area of the Main Stand, with space for one personal assistant each. A headset with full commentary is provided.

The stadium features tributes to two of the club's most successful managers. The Paisley Gateway is a tribute to Bob Paisley, who guided Liverpool to three European Cups and six League Championships in the 1970s and '80s. The gates were erected at the Kop; their design includes representations of the three European Cups Paisley won during his tenure, the crest of his birthplace in Hetton-le-Hole, and the crest of Liverpool F.C. The Shankly Gates, in tribute of Bill Shankly, Paisley's predecessor between 1959 and 1974, are at the Anfield Road end. Their design includes a Scottish flag, a Scottish thistle, the Liverpool badge, and the words "You'll Never Walk Alone".

Future

Plans to replace Anfield were originally initiated by Liverpool in May 2002. The proposed capacity was 55,000, but it was later revised to 61,000, with 1,000 seats given for segregation between home and away fans. Several attempts were made between 2003 to 2007 by the Liverpool City Council to instigate a groundshare of the proposed stadium with local rivals Everton, but this move was rejected, as neither club favoured it. On 30 July 2004 Liverpool was granted planning permission to build a new stadium away from Anfield at Stanley Park. On 8 September 2006 Liverpool City Council agreed to grant Liverpool F.C. a 999-year lease of the land on the proposed site.

Following the takeover of Liverpool F.C. on 6 February 2007 by George Gillett and Tom Hicks, the proposed stadium was redesigned to reduce the costs of construction. In November 2007 the redesigned layout was approved by the council, and construction was due to start in early 2008. The new stadium, provisionally called Stanley Park Stadium, was to be built by HKS, Inc.. It was scheduled to open in August 2011 with a capacity of 71,000. If the new stadium is built Anfield will be demolished. The land will become home to the centrepiece for the Anfield Plaza development, which would include a hotel, restaurants, and offices. However, the construction of Stanley Park was delayed following the economic crisis of 2008 and the subsequent recession, which directly affected the then American owners. The situation was worsened because the club was bought with borrowed money, not the owners' capital, and interest rates were higher than expected. Hicks and Gillett promised to begin work on the stadium within 60 days of acquisition of the club, but had trouble financing the estimated £300 million needed for the Stanley Park development. The deadline passed, and as of June 2011 the site remains untouched. The delays had repercussions in the local district of Anfield, with regeneration plans on hold until the future of the football stadium is decided.

The acquisition of Liverpool by Fenway Sports Group in October 2010 put into question whether Liverpool would leave Anfield. In February 2011 the new club owner, John W. Henry, stated he had a preference for remaining at Anfield and expanding the capacity. After attending a number of games at Anfield, Henry stated that "the Kop is unrivalled", adding "it would be hard to replicate that feeling anywhere else".

Other uses

Anfield has hosted numerous international matches, and was one of the venues used during Euro 96; the ground hosted three group games and a quarter-final. The first international match hosted at Anfield was between England and Ireland, in 1889. England won the match 6–1. Anfield was also the home venue for several of England's international football matches in the early 1900s and for the Welsh team in the later part of that century. Anfield has also played host to five FA Cup semi-finals, the last of which was in 1929. The most recent international to be hosted at Anfield was England's 2–1 victory over Uruguay on 1 March 2006. England has played two testimonial matches against Liverpool at Anfield. The first was in 1983, when England faced Liverpool for Phil Thompson's testimonial. Then, in 1988, England visited again for Alan Hansen's testimonial.

Anfield has been the venue for many other events. During the mid-twenties, Anfield was the finishing line for the city marathon. Liverpool held an annual race which started from St George's plateau in the city centre and finished with a lap of Anfield. Boxing matches were regularly held at Anfield during the inter-war years, including a number of British boxing championships; on 12 June 1934 Nel Tarleton beat Freddie Miller for the World Featherweight title. Professional tennis was played at Anfield on boards on the pitch. US Open champion, Bill Tilden, and Wimbledon champion, Fred Perry, entertained the crowds in an exhibition match. In 1958, an exhibition basketball match featuring the Harlem Globetrotters was held at the ground. The 1991 World Club Challenge rugby league match, between the Penrith Panthers, winners of the Australian National Rugby League, and the Wigan Warriors, winners of the European Super League was held at the ground in front of 20,152 people. In addition to rugby league, Anfield has been confirmed as one of the grounds that will host matches during the 2015 Rugby Union World Cup. Aside from sporting uses, Anfield has been a venue for musicians of different genres as well as evangelical preachers. One week in July 1984, the American evangelist Billy Graham preached at Anfield, attracting crowds of over 30,000 each night. Anfield was featured in Liverpool's 2008 European Capital of Culture celebrations: 36,000 people attended a concert on 1 June 2008, featuring The Zutons, Kaiser Chiefs, and Paul McCartney.

Records

The highest attendance recorded at Anfield is 61,905, for Liverpool's match against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup fifth round, on 2 February 1952. The record modern (all-seated) attendance is 44,983, for a match against Tottenham Hotspur on 14 January 2006. The lowest attendance recorded at Anfield was 1,000 for a match against Loughborough on 7 December 1895.

Liverpool did not lose a match at Anfield during the 1893–94, 1970–71, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1987–88, and 2008–09 seasons. They won all their home games during the 1893–94 season. Liverpool's longest winning streak at home extended from January 1978 to January 1981, a period encompassing 85 games, in which Liverpool scored 212 goals and conceded 35. Liverpool's worst losing streak at Anfield is three games. This occurred three times in the club's history to date (1899–1900, 1906–07 and 1908–09 seasons).

Transport

The stadium is about from Lime Street Station, which lies on a branch of the West Coast Main Line from London Euston. Kirkdale Station, about from the stadium, is the nearest station to Anfield. Fans travelling by train for matches may book direct to Anfield or Goodison Park, changing to the Merseytravel Soccerbus service at Sandhills Station on the Merseyrail Northern Line. The stadium has no parking facilities for supporters, and the streets around the ground allow parking only for residents with permits. There are proposals under consideration for reinstating passenger traffic on the Bootle Branch, which would cut the distance from the nearest train station to about .

Footnotes

References

External links

Anfield at LiverpoolFC.tv

Atmosphere at Anfield Road

Category:Liverpool F.C. Category:Buildings and structures in Liverpool Category:Sport in Liverpool Category:Football venues in England Category:Premier League venues Category:UEFA European Football Championship stadiums Category:Visitor attractions in Liverpool Category:Everton F.C.

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playername	Paul Dickov
fullname	Paul Dickov
dateofbirth	November 01, 1972
cityofbirth	Livingston
countryofbirth	Scotland
height
currentclub	Oldham Athletic (manager)
youthyears1	1989–1990
youthclubs1	Arsenal
years1	1990–1996
years2	1993
years3	1994
years4	1996–2002
years5	2002–2004
years6	2004–2006
years7	2006–2008
years8	2007
years9	2008
years10	2008–2010
years11	2009
years12	2010
years13	2010–2011
clubs1	Arsenal
clubs2	→ Luton Town (loan)
clubs3	→ Brighton & Hove Albion (loan)
clubs4	Manchester City
clubs5	Leicester City
clubs6	Blackburn Rovers
clubs7	Manchester City
clubs8	→ Crystal Palace (loan)
clubs9	→ Blackpool (loan)
clubs10	Leicester City
clubs11	→ Derby County (loan)
clubs12	Leeds United
clubs13	Oldham Athletic
caps1	22
goals1	4
caps2	15
goals2	1
caps3	8
goals3	5
caps4	158
goals4	35
caps5	89
goals5	37
caps6	50
goals6	14
caps7	16
goals7	0
caps8	9
goals8	0
caps9	11
goals9	6
caps10	21
goals10	2
caps11	16
goals11	2
caps12	4
goals12	0
caps13	2
goals13	0
nationalyears2	2000–2004
nationalteam1	Scotland U21
nationalteam2	Scotland
nationalcaps1	4
nationalgoals1	0
nationalcaps2	10
nationalgoals2	1
manageryears1	2010–
managerclubs1	Oldham Athletic
pcupdate	16:45, 07 May 2011 (UTC)
ntupdate	07:47, 26 June 2008 (UTC) }}

Paul Dickov (born 1 November 1972, in Livingston) is a retired Scottish footballer, turned manager who is currently in charge of League One side Oldham Athletic. He retired from playing on 7th May 2011 to concentrate on managing the club.

Dickov started his career with Arsenal, where he won the UEFA Cup Winners Cup in 1994, but was never a first team regular and in 1996 he moved to Manchester City, who were then in Division One. Over six seasons at the club, Dickov experienced two promotions and two relegations, playing in three different divisions. Dickov left in 2002 to join Leicester City, where he stayed for two seasons and, in 2004, he signed for Blackburn Rovers, and was part of the team which qualified for the UEFA Cup in 2005–06. Upon the expiry of his Blackburn contract in 2006, he rejoined Manchester City.

In 2000, he made his debut for the Scotland national team against San Marino. In total he has represented his country ten times, scoring one goal.

His preferred position was as a support striker and even played on the wings.

Club career

Manchester City

Dickov joined Manchester City on 22 August 1996 in a transfer valued between £750,000 and £1 million, the final signing of Alan Ball's Manchester City management. He made his debut as a substitute against Stoke City on 24 August, a 2–1 defeat which was Ball's final match. Dickov made his first Manchester City start in the next match, in a 2–1 win over Charlton Athletic. Dickov joined the club in a period of turmoil; in his first season at Manchester City he played under five different managers (three full-time appointments and two caretakers). A regular starter under Asa Hartford, Steve Coppell and Phil Neal, he played less frequently under Frank Clark, and finished the season with five goals from 25 League starts. At the start of the 1997–98 season, Dickov did not feature in the first team, but was restored to the starting line-up following injuries to Uwe Rösler and Lee Bradbury. Dickov finished the season as the City's top scorer with nine goals, but the club were relegated to the third tier of English football for the first time in their history after finishing in 22nd place.

Dickov, wearing the number 9 shirt, played a supporting role in a striking partnership with Shaun Goater in the 1998–99 season, scoring 16 goals in all competitions, including a hat-trick against Lincoln City. He scored an important equaliser against Wigan Athletic in the play off semi final 1st leg (which was also the last ever goal to be scored at Springfield Park). The sixteenth goal was particularly crucial, a 15 yard, top corner injury time equaliser in the final of the promotion playoffs against Gillingham. Dickov's 95th minute goal took the game to extra time, and the Manchester team ultimately won to earn promotion to the First Division. This goal, scored past Vince Bartram, the best man at Dickov's wedding, was voted City’s Greatest Ever Goal in a 2005 poll conducted by Manchester City.

Dickov retained his place in the first team at the start of the 1999–2000 season. He started each of the first fifteen League games, despite suffering a facial injury on 26 September 1999 in which he lost a tooth. The run of starting appearances came to an end on 27 October, when he damaged knee ligaments in a match against Ipswich Town. During the subsequent absence, Manchester City signed Robert Taylor, and most of Dickov's appearances in the second half of the season were as a substitute. One of these substitute appearances was the final match of the season, a 4–1 win at Blackburn. Dickov scored the third Manchester City goal as City clinched promotion to the Premier League.

When Manchester City returned to the Premier League for the 2000–01 season, it appeared that Dickov's chances of playing would be limited as City signed former FIFA World Player of the Year George Weah and Costa Rican international Paulo Wanchope. However, Dickov earned a place in the team, his performances attracting the attention of the then Scotland national football team manager Craig Brown, who called him up to the Scotland squad for the first time.

City were relegated back into the First Division for the 2001–02 season and Kevin Keegan replaced Joe Royle as manager. Dickov found his first team opportunities at the club limited especially as the team had other strikers such as Paulo Wanchope, Shaun Goater and Darren Huckerby. Having fallen out of favour, on 22 February 2002 he moved to Leicester City for £150,000.

Leicester City

Dickov's Leicester debut came in a 3–0 defeat against Derby County. His first goals for Leicester came in his sixth appearance, when he scored both Leicester goals in a 2–1 victory against Blackburn Rovers, the club's first win for four months. However, Dickov only scored two more goals that season. Leicester finished bottom and were relegated.

He scored a career-high of 20 goals in the 2002–03 season as Leicester made an immediate return to the top flight, finishing runners-up in Division One behind Portsmouth.

He managed to score 13 goals in the 2003–04 season. Leicester were subsequently relegated to the First Division and Dickov moved to Blackburn Rovers, declining an offer of an improved contract from Leicester and exercising a contractual clause which allowed him to join a Premier League club for a nominal fee.

Blackburn Rovers

Dickov debuted for Blackburn Rovers as a half-time substitute against West Bromwich Albion on 14 August 2004. He scored his first goal for the club in the following match, a 3–2 defeat to Southampton. Dickov was involved in the majority of matches in the 2004–05 season, until a knee injury caused him to miss the last few weeks of the season. He finished the season with ten league goals. In 2005–06, Dickov found it hard to retain a regular place in the side, with manager Mark Hughes having signed forwards Craig Bellamy and Shefki Kuqi during the summer. A red card against West Ham caused him to miss most of the first month of the season. He had a run of first team games in the autumn but starting appearances became fewer as the season progressed. He left the club in the summer of 2006 following the expiry of his contract.

Return to Manchester City

Dickov re-joined Manchester City on 26 May 2006, signing a two-year contract. He came on as a substitute in City's first game of the 2006–07 season against Chelsea, a 3–0 defeat. He then started the next three matches, including a 1–0 win over his former club Arsenal.

Dickov suffered several injuries over the course of the season, including a back problem, a knee injury and a toe injury, the latter sidelining him for four months. Dickov made nine starts and seven substitute appearances in 2006–07, but failed to score a single goal. In May 2007 he announced his interest in pursuing a coaching role when he retires. He was transfer listed by Manchester City in August. He joined Crystal Palace on a three-month loan on 31 August 2007. He played his first game for the Eagles in a friendly against Crystal Palace Baltimore, Crystal Palace's American counterparts, on Friday 7 September, playing the full 90 minutes.

Blackpool loan

On 31 January 2008, Dickov joined Blackpool managed by Simon Grayson on loan until May. Two days later he scored on his debut for Blackpool, what proved to be the winning goal in the Seasiders' 2–1 victory against Leicester City, one of his former clubs, at Bloomfield Road. He had come on as a 70th-minute substitute and scored the winning goal in the 89th minute. It was his first goal since 2 January 2006. He went on to score five goals in his first five appearances for the club, and on March 4 he was named as the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA)'s Fans Championship Player of the Month for February. By the end of his loan, Dickov had scored six goals in eleven appearances. He returned to Manchester City after his loan before then being released at the end of the season.

Return to Leicester

An initial bid from his former club Leicester City was rejected a week earlier, and after pondering other offers from Toronto FC and Blackpool, Dickov decided to rejoin Leicester on 7 August 2008, signing a two-year contract. He made his debut in a 2–0 home win over Milton Keynes Dons on 9 August 2008, scoring his first goal in a 3–2 League Cup defeat to Fulham on 27 August. He made a total of 20 league games, scoring 2 goals as Leicester finished the 2008–09 season as League One champions.

Derby County loan

On 28 August 2009, Dickov joined Derby County on loan until January as cover. Due to an injury crisis Dickov found himself playing regularly at Derby, where his dogged style won over the support of the Derby fans. Dickov scored his first goal for Derby against Queens Park Rangers on 24 October 2009. After his loan spell at Derby ended, Dickov returned to Leicester in January 2010. He was released from his contract by Leicester on 1 February 2010 in order to find a new club.

Leeds United

On March 3, 2010 Dickov signed for Leeds United until the end of the season. It was initially thought that MLS side Toronto had beaten Leeds to Dickov's signature, however United eventually won the race for the Scot. Leeds also had to receive special dispensation from FIFA to sign Dickov due to the fact he had already played for two clubs this season, the maximum permitted. Dickov was named on Leeds' bench against Brentford and made his debut for Leeds when he came on as a late substitute. Made his impact as a Leeds player by getting booked immediately, scrapping with Brentford winger Ryan Dickson before the ball had come into play.

Dickov made his first start for Leeds in Leeds' loss against Millwall, after replacing the injured Jermaine Beckford in the starting lineup. At the end of the 2009-10 season Leeds finished 2nd thus earning promotion to The Championship. Dickov's contract wasn't renewed after promotion.

Oldham Athletic

On 9 June 2010, Dickov agreed a one-year rolling contract with Oldham Athletic to become player-manager following the departure of previous manager Dave Penney. It will be Dickov's first attempt at managing and expected to be his last club as a player. His first competitive game as Oldham manager ended in a 2–1 victory at rivals Tranmere with Dale Stephens scoring both goals, Dickov also praised the traveling army of Oldham Fans. The fans have also had a flag made in support of Dickov, this reads – "Wee Jocks Barmy Army". On 4 September 2010, he made his debut coming on as a 2nd half substitute against Bristol Rovers.

He has received wide appreciation amongst Latics supporters for the high-tempo energy filled, attacking performances the team have displayed during the first half of his first season as manager. Dickov opted to build a youthful side and made controversial decisions at the start of the season to offload 2009/2010 player of the year and club captain Sean Gregan as well as top scorer Pawel Abbott amongst other first team players. The team went into the New Year in ninth position, with games in hand on the teams above them, and being unbeaten at home in the league. Results in the second half of the season were less consistent and the team finished the season in the bottom half of the table. On 6 May 2011 Dickov announced that he would make only his second appearance of the season for the first team in the final match of the season, and would then end his playing career to concentrate on management. He the came on as a 77th minute substitute the following day against Milton Keynes Dons.

International career

Dickov made his international debut on 7 October 2000, coming on as a substitute in a World Cup qualifier against San Marino. He made two further substitute appearances that year, against Croatia and Australia. Limited first-team opportunities at club level then meant Dickov was not selected for international duty for another two years. Good form at Leicester earned him a recall in September 2002. He made his first international start against the Faroe Islands. However, playing out of position on the wing, he was substituted at half-time as the faltering Scotland team drew 2–2 against a nation 62 places lower in the world rankings. In the return fixture a year later, Dickov scored his first international goal in a 3–1 win. His most recent cap came in a 1–0 defeat against Norway in October 2004. In total he has earned ten Scotland caps and has scored one goal.

Style of play

Although he is a striker, Dickov is better known for his tenacity than his goal-scoring exploits. In a 2003 interview with the Independent on Sunday he provided a summary of his playing style: "The ability to battle is one of the main parts of my game. I know my limits. I am not the sort who gets the ball and is then going to beat five or six players and stick it in the top corner from God knows where. But, whether I'm playing well or not, the one thing you will get from me is 110 per cent, upsetting defenders and basically giving them pain." Rio Ferdinand was mentioning his name as the biggest headache to deal with on the pitch. His combative approach resulted in Manchester City manager Joe Royle naming him "The Wasp", and during his time at Leicester he was known as "The Pest".

Personal life

Dickov is married to Janet. He has 3 children. He was arrested in March 2004, along with team-mates Keith Gillespie and Frank Sinclair, on allegations of sexual assault while at a training camp in La Manga, Spain. All three were later cleared when forensic tests showed the allegations were false. Five years after the case, Dickov revealed it to be the "darkest period" of his footballing career.

According to one source, Dickov owes his family name to a Bulgarian grandfather.

Career statistics

Player

(Correct as of 7 May 2011, substitute appearances in brackets) 2 0 1 5 0 1 5 9 12 5 4 0 4 17 11 10 4 0 — 0 6 2 0 2 0 0

Club	Season	League	Cup	Total
!Apps	!Goals	!Apps	!Goals	!Apps	!Goals
rowspan="2" align="left"	Arsenal	align="left"	1 (2)	|	—	—	1 (2)	2
align="left"	1993–94	0 (1)	|	—	—	0 (1)	0
align="left"	Luton Town	align="left"	8 (7)	|	—	—	8 (7)	1
align="left"	Brighton & Hove Albion	align="left"	8	|	—	—	8	5
rowspan="2" align="left"	Arsenal	align="left"	4 (5)	|	2 (2)	3	6 (7)	3
align="left"	1995–96	1 (6)	|	—	—	1 (6)	1
rowspan="6" align="left"	Manchester City	align="left"	25 (4)	|	3	0	28 (4)	5
align="left"	1997–98	21 (9)	|	2 (1)	0	23 (10)	9
align="left"	1998–99	25 (13)	|	5 (3)	3	30 (16)	15
align="left"	1999–2000	22 (12)	|	3	1	25 (12)	6
align="left"	2000–01	15 (6)	|	2 (2)	1	17 (8)	5
align="left"	2001–02	0 (7)	|	0 (1)	1	0 (8)	1
rowspan="3" align="left"	Leicester City	align="left"	11 (1)	|	—	—	11 (1)	4
align="left"	2002–03	42	|	4	3	46	20
align="left"	2003–04	28 (7)	|	4	2	32 (7)	13
rowspan="2" align="left"	Blackburn Rovers	align="left"	27 (2)	|	6	1	37 (2)	11
align="left"	2005–06	17 (4)	|	4 (1)	2	21 (5)	6
rowspan="2" align="left"	Manchester City	align="left"	9 (6)	|	0 (2)	0	9 (8)	0
align="left"	2007–08	—	|	0 (1)	0	0 (1)	0
align="left"	Crystal Palace	align="left"	6 (3)	|	—	—	6 (3)	0
align="left"	Blackpool	align="left"	7 (4)	|	—	—	7 (4)	6
rowspan="2" align="left"	Leicester City	align="left"	4 (16)	|	3 (3)	1	7 (19)	3
align="left"	2009–10	0 (1)	|	0 (1)	0	0 (2)	0
align="left"	Derby County	align="left"	10 (6)	|	—	—	10 (6)	2
align="left"	Leeds United	align="left"	1 (3)	|	—	—	1 (3)	0
align="left"	Oldham Athletic	align="left"	0 (2)	|	0 (0)	0	0 (2)	0
Career totals	!292 (127)!!100!!38 (17)!!18!!334 (144) !! 118

Manager

Team	Country	From	To	Record
!G!!W!!D!!L!!Win %
align=left
Total

Honours

Leeds United

Coca-Cola League One Runners Up (Promoted): 2009–2010

;Leicester City

Division One Runners Up (Promoted):' 2002–2003''

League One: 2008–09

;Manchester City

1998–99 Division 2 Playoff Final Winners

1999-200 Division 1 Promotion

;Arsenal

1994 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Winner.

References

External links

Category:1972 births Category:Living people Category:Scottish footballers Category:Scotland international footballers Category:British people of Bulgarian descent Category:Association football forwards Category:Arsenal F.C. players Category:Blackburn Rovers F.C. players Category:Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. players Category:Derby County F.C. players Category:Leicester City F.C. players Category:Luton Town F.C. players Category:Manchester City F.C. players Category:Crystal Palace F.C. players Category:Blackpool F.C. players Category:Leeds United A.F.C. players Category:Oldham Athletic A.F.C. players Category:Premier League players Category:The Football League players Category:Scottish football managers Category:Oldham Athletic A.F.C. managers Category:People from Livingston, West Lothian Category:The Football League managers Category:People from West Lothian

ar:بول ديكوف de:Paul Dickov it:Paul Dickov nl:Paul Dickov no:Paul Dickov pl:Paul Dickov fi:Paul Dickov zh:保羅·迪哥夫

playername	Steven Gerrard
fullname	Steven George Gerrard
dateofbirth	May 30, 1980
cityofbirth	Whiston, Merseyside
countryofbirth	England
height
position	Central Midfielder / Second Striker
currentclub	Liverpool
clubnumber	8
youthyears1	1987–1998
youthclubs1	Liverpool
years1	1998–
clubs1	Liverpool
caps1	387
goals1	84
nationalyears1	1999
nationalyears2	2000–
nationalteam1	England U21
nationalteam2	England
nationalcaps1	4
nationalcaps2	89
nationalgoals1	1
nationalgoals2	19
pcupdate	21:51, 02 February 2011 (UTC)
ntupdate	22:00, 17 November 2010 (UTC) }}

Steven George Gerrard MBE (; born 30 May 1980 in Whiston, Merseyside, England) is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League club Liverpool. He also has 89 caps for the England national team. He has played much of his career in a centre midfielder role, but he has also been used as a second striker and right winger. Gerrard is best known for his tremendous long-range striking ability and has scored in numerous cup finals, including the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final and the 2006 FA Cup Final.

Gerrard, who has spent his entire career at Anfield, made his début in 1998 and cemented his place in the first team in the 2000–01 season, succeeding Sami Hyypiä as Liverpool team captain in 2003. His honours include two FA Cup wins, two League Cup wins, a UEFA Cup win, and a UEFA Champions League win in 2005. In 2005, Gerrard came third in the voting for Ballon d'Or, given to the top player in Europe.

Gerrard made his international debut in 2000 and has represented England at Euro 2000 and Euro 2004, as well as the 2006 World Cup, where he was the team's top goalscorer with two goals. Gerrard is the current vice-captain of the England national football team. However, he captained his country at the 2010 World Cup in the absence of regular captain Rio Ferdinand who missed the tournament through injury.

Gerrard is widely regarded as one of the greatest English footballers ever. Gerrard came second only to Kenny Dalglish in the 100 Players Who Shook The Kop, a Liverpool F.C. fan poll. Zinedine Zidane said in 2009 that he considers Gerrard one of the best footballers in the world. In 2010, The Guardian named Gerrard to their World XI team, which compiled the greatest footballers of all-time onto one squad.

Club career

Early Years

Born in Whiston, Merseyside, Gerrard started out playing for hometown team Whiston Juniors, where he was noticed by Liverpool scouts. He joined the Reds' youth academy at the age of nine. Gerrard then had trials with various clubs at fourteen, but his success wasn't immediate—Gerrard never made it into the England Schoolboys team. Gerrard's trials included Manchester United, which he claimed in his 2006 autobiography was "to pressure Liverpool into giving me a YTS contract." He signed his first professional contract with Liverpool on 5 November 1997.

Liverpool Beginnings (1998-2003)

Gerrard made his Liverpool first-team debut on 29 November 1998 in a match against Blackburn Rovers as a last minute substitute for Vegard Heggem. He made thirteen appearances in his debut season, filling in the midfield position for injured captain Jamie Redknapp and playing on the right wing, but he scarcely contributed in the short on-pitch time he received, due to nervousness affecting his play. Gerrard recalled in a November 2008 interview with The Guardian, "I was out of position and out of my depth." The Liverpool hierarchy nonetheless remained convinced that he would improve. Gerrard saw himself as a defensive player primarily, looking to make key tackles rather than push the team forward.

Gerrard partnered Redknapp in central midfield for the 1999–00 season. After starting the derby match against Everton on the bench, he replaced Robbie Fowler in the second half but received his first career red card for a late foul on Everton's Kevin Campbell. Later that season, Gerrard scored his first senior goal in a 4–1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday. However, he began to suffer from nagging back problems, which sports consultant Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt later diagnosed as a result of accelerated growth, coupled with excessive playing, during his teenage years. He was then beset by groin injuries that required four separate operations.

In 2000–01, he made fifty starts in all competitions and scored ten goals as Liverpool won the League Cup, FA Cup, and the 2001 UEFA Cup.

Team Struggles and Uncertainty (2003-2004)

Gerrard replaced Sami Hyypiä as Liverpool captain in October 2003, as manager Gérard Houllier said that he recognised Gerrard had demonstrated leadership qualities early on, but needed to mature. He chose to extend his contract at the club, signing a new four-year deal.

Houllier quit after a trophyless 2003–04 campaign, and Gerrard was linked with a move to Chelsea during the offseason. He admitted he was not "happy with the progress Liverpool has made," and that "for the first time in my career I've thought about the possibility of moving on." In the end, Gerrard turned down a £20 million offer from Chelsea to stay with Liverpool and new coach Rafael Benítez.

Breakthrough and Trophy Campaigns (2004-2007)

Liverpool were wracked with injury early in the 2004–05 season, and a foot injury suffered in a September league match against Manchester United shelved Gerrard until late November. He returned to score in the last five minutes of a Champions League group stage match against Olympiacos to secure Liverpool's advancement to the knockout round. He claimed that this was his most important, if not his best, goal for Liverpool to date. However, Gerrard netted an own goal during the 2005 League Cup final on 27 February, which proved decisive in Liverpool's 3–2 loss to Chelsea.

During a six-minute stretch in the second half of the 2005 Champions League final against A.C. Milan, Liverpool came back from a three-goal deficit to tie the match at 3–3 after extra time, with Gerrard scoring one of the goals. Liverpool's third goal was gained as a penalty from a foul awarded to Liverpool when Gennaro Gattuso fouled Gerrard in Milan's penalty box. Gerrard did not participate in the penalty shootout, which Liverpool won 3–2 as they claimed their first Champions League trophy in twenty years, though he was named the Man of the Match, and later received the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year award.

In regards to his contract issues with Liverpool, Gerrard told the press after the final, "How can I leave after a night like this?" But negotiations soon stalled and on 5 July 2005, after Liverpool turned down another lucrative offer from Chelsea, Gerrard rejected a club-record £100,000-a-week offer. Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry conceded the club had lost Gerrard, saying, "Now we have to move on. We have done our best, but he has made it clear he wants to go and I think it looks pretty final." The next day, Gerrard signed a new four-year deal as Parry blamed the earlier breakdown of talks on miscommunication between the two sides.

Gerrard scored 23 goals in 53 appearances in 2005–06, and in April became the first Liverpool player since John Barnes in 1988 to be voted the PFA Player of the Year. He scored twice in the 2006 FA Cup final against West Ham United, including an equalizer that sent the match into extra time, and Liverpool won their second consecutive major trophy on penalties. The goals made him the only player to have scored in the FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Cup and Champions League finals. Gerrard netted a penalty as Liverpool eliminated league rival Chelsea in the 2006–07 Champions League semi-finals to return to their second final in three seasons, which they lost 2–1 to Milan.

Gerrard suffered a hairline toe fracture in an August 2007 Champions League qualifier against Toulouse F.C., but returned four days later to play the entirety of a 1–1 league draw against Chelsea. On 28 October 2007, Gerrard played his 400th game for Liverpool in a league match against Arsenal, in which he scored. He scored in all but one of Liverpool's domestic and European matches during the month of November, and after scoring the only goal in a Champions League away tie against Olympique de Marseille on 11 December, he became the first Liverpool player since John Aldridge in 1989 to score in seven consecutive games in all competitions.

Continued Success and Stardom (2007-)

Gerrard made his 300th Premier League appearance on 13 April 2008 in a match against Blackburn Rovers, scoring the opening goal, and finished the season with twenty-one goals in all competitions, surpassing his total from the 2006–07 season. Gerrard was selected for the PFA Team of the Year and he was also one of the nominees or the PFA Player of the Year, alongside teammate Fernando Torres.

Gerrard needed to undergo groin surgery at the beginning of the 2008–09 season, but the problem was not serious and he quickly returned to training. He scored what appeared to be his hundredth career Liverpool goal against Stoke City on 20 September, but it was disallowed after Dirk Kuyt was ruled offside. He achieved the milestone eleven days later in a 3–1 Champions League group stage win over PSV.

He made his 100th appearance in European club competition for Liverpool on 10 March 2009 against Real Madrid and scored twice in a 4–0 win. Four days after the impressive victory over Real, Gerrard would score at Old Trafford for the first time from the penalty spot, putting Liverpool ahead on their way to a 4–1 victory over Manchester United. Following these results, three-time FIFA World Player of the Year Zinedine Zidane hailed the Liverpool skipper, saying "Is he the best in the world? He might not get the attention of Messi and Ronaldo but yes, I think he might be." On 22 March 2009, Gerrard scored his first ever hat-trick in the Premier League, against Aston Villa, in a 5–0 victory. On 13 May 2009, Gerrard was named as the 2009 Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year, becoming the first Liverpool player to win the award in nineteen years. Gerrard had pipped Manchester United duo Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney in the poll voted for by journalists, beating Ryan Giggs by just 10 votes. Upon receiving the award, he was quoted as saying "I'm delighted but I'm a little bit surprised," he commented. "When you look at the quality of the players there are in this league, it's a great privilege to win this kind of award." He ended the 2009–10 season with a total of 12 goals and 9 assists from 46 matches.

Following the 2009–10 season, Rafael Benitez departed Liverpool after six years and was succeeded as manager b|y Roy Hodgson, who quickly assured fans that Gerrard would not be sold. To further eliminate any speculation surrounding his future at the club, Gerrard made a statement emphasising his excitement at the coming season with Liverpool and praising the signing of Joe Cole. Gerrard soon played his first pre-season match of the 2010–11 season against Borussia Mönchengladbach on 1 August 2010 alongside new signing Cole.

Gerrard scored his first goal of the 2010–11 season from the penalty spot in a Europa League qualifier against Macedonian side FK Rabotnicki on the 5th August 2010.

His next two goals came on 19 September at Old Trafford in a 3–2 loss against Manchester United; he scored from a penalty kick in the 64th minute and a free-kick 6 minutes later to level the game at 2–2. He followed this up with the equaliser in a 2–2 home draw with Sunderland. 11 days later Gerrard came off the bench to score a second-half hat-trick in a 3–1 win over Napoli in the Europa League. Steven Gerrard has missed the start of English Premier League season 2011-2012 due to groin injury which kept him away for much of the 2010-2011 season as well.

International career

Gerrard made his international debut against Ukraine on 31 May 2000. That summer, he was called up for Euro 2000, making only one appearance as a substitute in a 1–0 win over Germany before England were eliminated in the group stage. Gerrard scored his first international goal in the famous 5–1 victory over Germany in a 2002 World Cup qualifier in September 2001, and while England qualified, Gerrard was forced to pull out of the squad due to his ongoing groin problems after pulling up in Liverpool's final match of the season against Ipswich.

He was a regular starter in Euro 2004, scoring once – against Switzerland – before England were eliminated by Portugal in the quarter-finals on penalties. He participated in his first World Cup in 2006 and two goals, both in the group stage, against Trinidad & Tobago and Sweden, although his spot kick was one of three saved by goalkeeper Ricardo as England again bowed out to Portugal in the quarter-finals on penalties. He was England's top scorer in the tournament.

Gerrard was made vice-captain of the England team by coach Steve McClaren, and while he filled in for John Terry as captain, England suffered back-to-back losses to Russia and Croatia that ended their Euro 2008 qualifying hopes. After new coach Fabio Capello took over the team in early 2008, Gerrard was given a trial run as captain but Capello settled on Terry for the role. Gerrard was subsequently replaced as England vice-captain by Rio Ferdinand.

Gerrard helped England qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, scoring two goals in England's 5–1 win over Croatia.

John Terry was replaced by Rio Ferdinand as captain in 2010, following revelations about the former's private life, and Gerrard subsequently became vice-captain again. When the England team left for the 2010 World Cup, Gerrard was the most experienced player in the squad with 80 caps. During preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, however, Rio Ferdinand was injured, meaning that Gerrard was appointed by Capello as captain for the tournament. After the tournament Gerrard, part of a group of England players dubbed the "Golden Generation", confirmed that he would continue to be available for selection, despite suggestions from Capello that he would seek to re-build the team.

In August 2010, Gerrard scored twice in a friendly match against Hungary and helped England to a 2–1 win. Due to Ferdinand's continued absence through injury, Gerrard retained the captaincy for the opening match of the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign against Bulgaria, which England won 4–0.

International goals

:Scores and results list England's goal tally first. Olympic Stadium (Munich) 16 October 2002 3 June 2003 17 June 2004 4 September 2004 30 March 2005 30 May 2006 15 June 2006 20 June 2006 2 September 2006 rowspan="2" 28 May 2008 15 October 2008 rowspan="2" 12 June 2010 rowspan="2"

# !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition
1	1 September 2001	Olympiastadion, Germany ||		2–1	Germany 1–5 England (2001)>5–1	2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)#Group 9>2002 FIFA World Cup Qualifying
2	|	St Mary's Stadium, England		2–2	2–2	2004 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying#Group 7>UEFA Euro 2004 Qualifying
3	|	Walkers Stadium, England		1–0	2–1	Exhibition game>Friendly
4	|	Estádio Cidade de Coimbra, Portugal		3–0	3–0	2004 UEFA European Football Championship - Group B>UEFA Euro 2004
5	|	Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Austria		2–0	2–2	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)#Group 6>2006 FIFA World Cup Qualifying
6	|	St James' Park, England		1–0	2–0	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)#Group 6>2006 FIFA World Cup Qualifying
7	|	Old Trafford, England		1–0	3–1	Exhibition game>Friendly
8	|	Frankenstadion, Germany		2–0	2–0	2006 FIFA World Cup - Group B>2006 FIFA World Cup
9	|	RheinEnergieStadion>RheinEnergie Stadion, Germany		2–1	2–2	2006 FIFA World Cup - Group B>2006 FIFA World Cup
10	|	Old Trafford, England		2–0	5–0	2008 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying Group E>UEFA Euro 2008 Qualifying
11	28 March 2007 || rowspan="2"|Olympic Stadium, Spain ||		1–0	3–0	rowspan="2"
12	2–0
13	|	Wembley Stadium, England		2–0	2–0	Exhibition game>Friendly
14	|	Dinamo Stadium (Minsk)>Dinamo Stadium, Belarus		1–0	3–1	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification - UEFA Group 6>2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifying
15	9 September 2009 ||	Wembley Stadium, England		2–0	5–1	rowspan="2"
16	4–0
17	|	Royal Bafokeng Stadium, South Africa		1–0	1–1	2010 FIFA World Cup
18	11 August 2010 ||	Wembley Stadium, England		1–1	2–1	rowspan="2"
19	2–1

Player Profile

Gerrard primarily plays centre midfielder with attacking tendencies. Gerrard has also played on the right wing, as well as a second striker. Early in his career, Gerrard was known for his defensive abilities, but over time, he has become known for his scoring. Gerrard's strengths are his long-range shooting and his powerful shot. Many of Gerrard's most memorable goals are scored from a volley, a specialty of Gerrard. He is also a good passer, especially on long passes and overhead crosses from the wide area that set his teammates up for scoring chances. Gerrard has tremendous endurance and is rarely subbed out of games. Gerrard's tireless work in the attacking midfield leads his team to an abundance of opporitunities. However, Gerrard has been criticized by opposing teams and coaches for his lack of positional awareness and his tendency to leave opponents unmarked.

Personal life

Gerrard and his wife, fashion journalist Alex Curran, married at the Cliveden mansion in Buckinghamshire on 16 June 2007. He has an older brother, Paul (not to be confused with former Everton goalkeeper Paul Gerrard), and his cousin Anthony plays for Cardiff. Steven and Alex have two daughters, Lilly-Ella (born 23 February 2004) and Lexie (9 May 2006). On 17 May, Alex told OK! Magazine that she and Steven were expecting a third child.

In September 2006, Gerrard published his autobiography, Gerrard: My Autobiography, ghost-written by journalist Henry Winter, which went on to win the Sports Book of the Year honour at the British Book Awards.

The autobiography ends with "I play for Jon-Paul." Gerrard's ten-year-old cousin, Jon-Paul Gilhooley, was killed in the 1989 Hillsborough Tragedy, when Gerrard was eight. "It was difficult knowing one of your cousins had lost his life," Gerrard said. "Seeing his family's reaction drove me on to become the player I am today."

On 1 October 2007, Gerrard was involved in a low-speed accident in Southport when the car he was driving hit a ten-year-old cyclist, who had shot into the street and inadvertently cut off Gerrard's path. He later visited the boy in the hospital and presented him with a pair of boots signed by Wayne Rooney, the boy's favourite player, after which he stayed to sign autographs for other young patients.

Councillors of Knowsley voted to make Gerrard a Freeman of the Borough on 13 December 2007, and two weeks later, he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire by The Queen in The Queen's New Year Honours List, for services to sport. He received an honorary fellowship from Liverpool John Moores University on 26 July 2008 as recognition for his contribution to sport.

On 29 December 2008, Gerrard was taken into custody outside the Lounge Inn in Southport on suspicion of a section 20 assault. He and two others were later charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray, relating to an incident which left the bar's disc jockey with a broken tooth and cuts to his forehead. The three men were given police to court bail and were required to appear at North Sefton Magistrates' Court on 23 January 2009, where they all pleaded not guilty. The case was adjourned until 20 March when the assault charge was dropped but Gerrard was required to attend Liverpool Crown Court to face trial for affray. On 3 April, Gerrard pleaded not guilty.

The case went to trial in Liverpool Crown Court. Gerrard's co-defendants pleaded guilty before the trial but Gerrard maintained his innocence. Gerrard admitted hitting Marcus McGee but claimed it was in self defence and on July 24, Gerrard was found not guilty by the jury. Following the verdict, Gerrard said he was looking forward to getting back to playing football and putting the experience behind him.

In 2011 Gerrard appeared in the film Will.

Career statistics

Correct as of 20:51, 2 February 2011 |- |1998–99||rowspan="13"|Liverpool||rowspan="13"|Premier League||12||0||0||0||0||0||1||0||13||0 |- |1999–2000||29||1||2||0||0||0||0||0||31||1 |- |2000–01||33||7||4||1||4||0||9||2||50||10 |- |2001–02||28||3||2||0||0||0||15||1||45||4 |- |2002–03||34||5||2||0||6||2||11||0||54*||7 |- |2003–04||34||4||3||0||2||0||8||2||47||6 |- |2004–05||30||7||0||0||3||2||10||4||43||13 |- |2005–06||32||10||6||4||1||1||12||7||53^||23^ |- |2006–07||36||7||1||0||1||1||12||3||51*||11 |- |2007–08||34||11||3||3||2||1||13||6||52||21 |- |2008–09||31||16||3||1||0||0||10||7||44||24 |- |2009–10||33||9||2||1||1||0||13||2||49||12 |- |2010–11||21||4||1||0||0||0||2||4||24||8 387||84||29||10||20||7||116||38||556||140 387||84||29||10||20||7||116||38||556||140 |}

* Includes appearance in FA Community Shield that season

^ Includes two appearances and one goal in FIFA Club World Championship

Honours

Liverpool

Winner

FA Cup: 2000–01, 2005–06

League Cup: 2000–01, 2002–03;

FA Community Shield: 2001, 2006;

UEFA Champions League: 2004–05;

UEFA Cup: 2000–01

UEFA Super Cup: 2001, 2005

Runner-Up

FA Premier League: 2001–02, 2008–09;

League Cup: 2004–05

FA Community Shield: 2002

UEFA Champions League: 2006–07

FIFA Club World Championship: 2005

Individual

FWA Footballer of the Year: 2009

PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2006

PFA Young Player of the Year: 2001

PFA Fans' Player of the Year: 2001, 2009

PFA Team of the Year: 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009

FA Premier League Player of the Month: March 2001, March 2003, December 2004, April 2006, March 2009

Liverpool top goalscorer: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09

UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 2005

UEFA Champions League Final Man of the Match: 2005

UEFA Team of the Year: 2005, 2006, 2007

FIFA/FIFPro World XI: 2007, 2008, 2009

FA Cup Final Man of the Match: 2006

Goal of the Season: 2006

England Player of the Year: 2007

Awards

Gerrard has been nominated on numerous occasions for the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year Award.

Ballon d'Or

2001 – 25th

2005 – 3rd

2006 – nominated (top 50)

2007 – 13th

2008 – 10th

2009 – 10th

FIFA World Player of the Year

2001 – 28th

2005 – 7th

2006 – 12th

2007 – 6th

2008 – 6th

2009 – 8th

Others

Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE): 2007

Honorary Fellowship from Liverpool John Moores University: 2008

BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award 3rd place: 2005

References

External links

Official LFC profile

BBC Sport profile

Tactical Profile at football-lineups.com

Steven Gerrard profile at Carling.com

Steven Gerrard profile at FootballDatabase.com

Profile and stats at LFChistory.net

ESPN profile

Premier League profile

Profile at SoccerSurfer.com

Category:1980 births Category:People from Whiston, Merseyside Category:People from Huyton Category:Sportspeople from Liverpool Category:Living people Category:Association football midfielders Category:England under-21 international footballers Category:England international footballers Category:Liverpool F.C. players Category:Premier League players Category:UEFA Euro 2000 players Category:UEFA Euro 2004 players Category:2006 FIFA World Cup players Category:2010 FIFA World Cup players Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire Category:English footballers

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fullname	Jordan Brian Henderson
height
dateofbirth	June 17, 1990
cityofbirth	Sunderland
countryofbirth	England
current club.	Liverpool
clubnumber	14
position	Midfielder
youthyears1	2006–2008
youthclubs1	Sunderland
years1	2008–2011
years2	2009
years3	2011–
clubs1	Sunderland
clubs2	→ Coventry City (loan)
clubs3	Liverpool
caps1	71
goals1	4
caps2	10
goals2	1
caps3	3
goals3	1
nationalyears1	2009
nationalteam1	England U19
nationalcaps1	1
nationalgoals1	0
nationalyears2	2009
nationalteam2	England U20
nationalcaps2	1
nationalgoals2	0
nationalyears3	2010–
nationalteam3	England U21
nationalcaps3	9
nationalgoals3	2
nationalteam4	England
nationalcaps4	1
nationalgoals4	0
nationalyears4	2010–
pcupdate	20 August 2011
ntupdate	15 June 2011 }}

Jordan Brian Henderson (born 17 June 1990) is an English footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Liverpool and the England national team. He had a loan spell at Coventry City in 2009. He earned his first international cap for England, having previously played for the under-19, under-20 and under-21 teams. Henderson was schooled at Farringdon Community Sports College before joining Sunderland as a youngster.

Henderson played his first league game for Sunderland as a half-time substitute on 1 November 2008, in a 5–0 away defeat to Chelsea. He then made his first Sunderland start and home début against Blackburn Rovers in the League Cup.

Club career

Coventry City (loan)

In January 2009, Henderson joined Championship club Coventry City on a month-long loan deal. He made his Coventry debut in a 2–1 defeat to Derby County. On 23 February 2009, it was announced that Henderson's loan to Coventry would be extended until the end of the season.

"I'm extending my contract here until the end of the season so hopefully we can get that sorted soon," Henderson told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire. "I'm over the moon playing first-team football for Coventry City who are flying at the minute" he added. Henderson scored the first senior goal of his career on 29 February 2009, against Norwich City.

While on loan at Coventry, Henderson fractured the fifth metatarsal bone in his foot and returned to Sunderland on 8 April 2009.

Return to Sunderland

2009–10

In the 2009–10 season, Henderson broke into the Sunderland first team and made several Premier League appearances. He scored his first senior goal for the club against Birmingham City in the Carling Cup third round. He then went on to score his first Premier League goal against Manchester City on 19 December 2009.

Henderson spent the majority of the season on the right side of midfield but played centrally in the absence of Lee Cattermole; his versatility and consistency earning him a new five year contract on 23 April 2010, keeping him with the club till 2015. He also went on to win the Young Player of the Year award for the 2009–10 season.

Henderson's first full season with Sunderland was a major success. He won one personal accolade, scored two goals in all competitions and managed six assists.

2010–11

Henderson made a solid start in pre-season, scoring two goals, both away from home against Leicester City and Hoffenheim respectively. Days later, on 13 August his squad number was changed from 16 to 10. Henderson's early season form caught the eye of many observers, most notably Fabio Capello who made Henderson a part of his senior squad to face France on 17 November 2010. Henderson helped Sunderland to an unbeaten run of games against big clubs such as Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea all of whom have since reportedly registered an interest in the player. Henderson went on to score his first goal of the season in the 1–0 win over West Ham United.

On 13 January 2011, Henderson was listed on the official FIFA website as one of thirteen young players to watch in 2011, he ranked alongside Manchester United's David De Gea and Chelsea's Romelu Lukaku. FIFA also added Henderson is "Composed, athletic and powerful". Henderson has also been hailed as “the best young British footballer there is” by his Sunderland manager, Steve Bruce.

Henderson scored twice against Wigan Athletic on 23 April 2011, as Sunderland ended a run of 8 games without a win. Henderson was again named Sunderland's Young Player of the Year for the second season running.

Liverpool

On 8 June 2011, Sunderland and Liverpool confirmed they had agreed an undisclosed fee (reported to be between £16 million and £20 million) for Henderson, who would travel to Liverpool's training facility Melwood to undergo a medical and discuss personal terms regarding a move to Liverpool. Sunderland's chairman Niall Quinn commented on the deal, stating on the official Sunderland website that "Jordan is a credit to himself, his family and Sunderland's Academy and everyone here wishes him the very best for the future". Later that day, Liverpool released video footage of Henderson in club gear at Melwood. He completed the move a day later on 9 June 2011, signing "a long-term deal" with the club. On 8 July 2011, it was confirmed that Henderson would be wearing the number 14 shirt for Liverpool worn previously by Xabi Alonso and Milan Jovanovic. On 13 August 2011, Henderson made his debut in Liverpool's first game of the 2011–12 Premier League, a 1-1 draw against his former club Sunderland.. Henderson's second game was a 2-0 win over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, the first away win for Liverpool over Arsenal in 11 years since Titi Camara scored the winning goal at Highbury 2001. This was also the club's first win at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal's home since the closing of Highbury Stadium. On 27 August 2011, Henderson scored his first goal for Liverpool in a Premier League fixture at Anfield against Bolton Wanderers.

International career

Henderson has so far represented England nine times at three different levels. He made his debut for the under-19's in 2009 against Czech Republic before breaking into Stuart Pearce's under-21 squad. He then scored his first goal in an England shirt in the European Championship play-offs against Romania, hitting a volley from outside the box to get the first goal in the game.

On 11 November 2010, Henderson was omitted from England's U21 squad for their friendly with Germany, instead receiving his first call up to the senior England squad on 17 November 2010, for their friendly against France. He made the starting line up, starting in midfield alongside Steven Gerrard.

Henderson was selected in the England U21 squad for the 2011 European Championships, despite having played 40 games already that season. However England Under 21's were knocked out in the group stage.

Honours

;Sunderland

Young player of the year: 2009-10, 2010-11

Career statistics

0 1 1 3 1

Club	Season	League	FA Cup	League Cup	Europe	Other	Total
!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals
rowspan="1" valign="center"	Sunderland		1	|	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
rowspan="1" valign="center"	Coventry City		10	|	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	13	1
rowspan="2" valign="center"	Sunderland		33	|	2	0	3	1	0	0	0	0	38	2
2010–11 Sunderland A.F.C. season	2010–11	37	|	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	39	3
Liverpool F.C.	Liverpool	2011–12 Liverpool F.C. season>2011–12	3	|	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	4	1
		Career total	!84!!6!!6!!0!!6!!1!!0!!0!!0!!0!!96!!7

|- |2010||1||0 |- !Total||1||0 |}

References

External links

Premier League profile

ESPN Profile

LFC History Profile

Category:1990 births Category:People from Sunderland, Tyne and Wear Category:Living people Category:Association football midfielders Category:English footballers Category:Sunderland A.F.C. players Category:Coventry City F.C. players Category:Premier League players Category:The Football League players Category:England under-21 international footballers Category:England international footballers Category:Liverpool F.C. players

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