Steven Gerrard's Return Can Only Be Positive for Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool
Steven Gerrard is set to return to Liverpool's Melwood training facility next week, training alongside Jurgen Klopp's squad as he maintains his fitness during the Major League Soccer off-season—and this can only be a positive for his former club and their new manager.
Speaking to Gary Lineker as part of BT Sport's Champions League coverage on Tuesday evening, Gerrard confirmed that he was joining up with the Reds throughout December, with an eye on learning from Klopp.
"I’m going to go in for a couple of weeks and work with Mr. Klopp," he explained, per the Press Association (h/t This is Anfield).
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"So I’m really looking forward to that, to see what he’s about and try and learn a few things from him."
Gerrard, who is well acquainted with Melwood and its staff after spending 17 years in the Liverpool first team before departing for LA Galaxy in the summer, will have a great influence on Klopp's squad in training.
However, as he was pressed by Lineker on the possibility of a return on loan, Gerrard firmly denied reports.
This is crucial, as while a return on the training ground is a constructive movement for player and club, a comeback within Klopp's Liverpool first team would only work to sully his reputation.
No Loan Return
When Gerrard announced his decision to leave Liverpool at the end of the 2014/15 campaign, telling reporters at the beginning of January that it would be his last season in a Reds shirt, the midfielder shocked Merseyside.
Lineker took to Twitter shortly following Gerrard's revelation, evoking his regret at the loss of one of the Premier League's leading lights:
But while Lineker's sentiment back in January—and that underlying his questioning on Tuesday night—was no doubt born of an admiration for a player who had shone so brightly throughout his 17-year career at the top level of English football, there is more than a measure of nostalgia within this.
As Gerrard's first season with the Galaxy proved, his decision to depart the Premier League was a wise one.
"It’s a lot better than I initially thought,” Gerrard told Tom Adams of Eurosport International on the close of the 2015 MLS campaign, referencing the quality of the league. "A lot of people talk about the MLS, about the level, but for me a lot of them are wrong."
Continuing to explain to Adams his surprise at the demands of MLS, Gerrard unpicked some key flaws in his own game:
"Until you come here and sample it yourself, you see how strong it is and how fit and professional the players are. Every single game is a different challenge, certainly on the road you come up against places and teams where it is very hot and very humid; some teams play on astroturf.
So each game is very tricky and very difficult. The games at home, we’ve had a very strong team and we’ve enjoyed some really strong performances.
[...]
If people think they can come here just to have a holiday and retire, they are going to have a mistake because they won’t perform well and they won’t do their team justice because I have had to come here and work hard and get fit, make sure that I keep performing to play well.
"
Despite starting well on his move to Los Angeles, Gerrard quickly faded into the periphery, with 26-year-old midfield colleague Juninho performing to a much higher standard—and with more consistency.
Gerrard scored just two goals and assisted three in 14 MLS appearances.
His struggle in keeping up with the pace of the league, and the peculiar demands of climate and travel, were reminiscent of his final season on Merseyside—compounded by high-profile failures at the base of Brendan Rodgers' midfield, Gerrard looked a spent force.
While the 35-year-old's class will endure in terms of his mentality—and this is how he can work to improve in his second MLS season, by adapting his role sensitively and intelligently—he could not match this physically.
But, fortunately for Klopp, this should prove to be no problem at all.
Steven Gerrard at Melwood
As eager as Gerrard is to make his return to Melwood and work alongside Klopp, the German reflects that in looking to reap the benefits of welcoming such an experienced player to his training ranks during the winter.
"Everything is fine, perfect between Liverpool and Stevie," Klopp told reporters at the beginning of November, per the Press Association (h/t the Guardian).
"But I don’t know him until now and I’m looking forward to the moment we meet each other and we’ll talk about his ideas for the future, if he has some. The door is always open. Of course."
Klopp has shown in his first two months as Liverpool manager that he is an extremely pragmatic manager, learning from his mistakes swiftly and decisively, rectifying issues with squad rotation and system intelligently. He is clearly willing to discuss the position of the club with Gerrard, and this can only help.
On the training field, Gerrard's influence can be similarly significant.
Whether it be imparting technical wisdom to Philippe Coutinho as the Brazilian continues his rise to match-winning phenomenon, or stressing the importance of composure to Dejan Lovren, with the centre-back battling back to confidence at the heart of Klopp's defence, Gerrard's knowhow could be key.
His presence at Melwood could also benefit the club's injury-stricken talents—such as Danny Ings and Joe Gomez, who will both miss the rest of the season with ACL problems—as something of a morale boost.
Most importantly, however, is the possibility of a mentor role for Gerrard with Liverpool's hopeful youth players.
Jordan Rossiter, Sam Hart, Lewis Travis, Corey Whelan, Joe Maguire and Alex O'Hanlon have all named Gerrard as a role model in interview with the club's official website.
In May, under-21s captain Cameron Brannagan discussed at length with the Liverpool Echo's James Pearce just how important the 35-year-old's influence was in training:
"As Academy players, we’ve got to look at players and analyse their games and learn as much as we can from them. Moving up to Melwood, Steven has been great with me. He’s always happy to talk and has given me advice on positioning and so on.
[...]
Other senior players such as Lucas and Kolo Toure have also been really helpful. Their advice is just what you need as a young player because they’ve been there and done it.
I want to learn from players like them and hopefully have half the careers that they’ve had.
"
Brannagan made his senior debut for the club in September's 1-1 draw away to Bordeaux, producing an assured performance at the heart of the midfield.
Watching Gerrard's heroics in Europe throughout his Liverpool career will have been a great benefit for Brannagan, and with Klopp plotting for success in the Europa League this season, his return at Melwood can aid this further.
Liverpool in Europe
Liverpool take on Bordeaux at Anfield on Thursday night, with Brannagan hoping to feature as part of Klopp's matchday squad. And with the Reds comfortable in the knowledge that a win over Willy Sagnol's side would secure progress from the Europa League's Group B, they can draw from Gerrard's mentality to ensure victory.
Though Liverpool's history is peddled with a sickly regularity when it comes to European nights, it is impossible to avoid the influence of Gerrard in their successful history on the continent.
Drawing from unfathomable reserves to triumph in 2005's Champions League final in Istanbul, for example, Gerrard outlined the mental and physical fortitude required to thrive in Europe.
Five years later, a hat-trick in the Reds' 3-1 Europa League win at home to Napoli—coming on from the substitutes' bench to seal victory—should hammer home the binary importance of industry and quality.
Gerrard is, despite his flaws at 35, an inspiration for Liverpool.
This flows from the manager, to the first team, to the youth ranks and into the treatment room. His return at Melwood should be embraced as a positive.
Making the right decision not to pursue a temporary return in a playing capacity, Gerrard can maintain his fitness and tailor his game ahead of the new MLS campaign, safe in the homely surroundings of Melwood.
While he does so, Klopp and Liverpool can seek to imbibe his wisdom as they plot for a successful 2015/16.
Statistics via WhoScored.com.
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