37. Liverpool and England midfielder Steven Gerrard
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Liverpool’s inspirational captain and midfielder Steven Gerrard is up there with the best midfielders the Premier League has ever seen, rightly earning his place alongside greats such as Patrick Vieira and Roy Keane for his sheer ability to take a game by the scruff of the neck and carry his team-mates to victory.
The 33-year-old is a one-club man, having spent his entire career at Anfield, and like Francesco Totti, one can only wonder what more he could have achieved if he’d taken the chance to move some point. He was made club captain at the age of just 23, becoming an instant key member of the team when he broke through as a youngster. At the height of his career, Gerrard was ranked as the best midfielder in the world and was wanted by the likes of Real Madrid, and in fact came very close to joining Chelsea.
Still, Gerrard has managed to win arguably the biggest trophy in football, after inspiring his team’s comeback from 3-0 down against AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final. His goal made it 3-1 and got the Reds on their way to a memorable victory, forever ensuring his place in Liverpool folklore.
Throughout his career, Gerrard has been known for scoring both important and high-quality goals. The midfielder still has his trademark long-range strike in his locker, as he demonstrated this season with a goal-of-the-season contender away to Manchester City. He has scored 159 times for the club, finishing as their top scorer in 2005, 2006 and 2009, putting him up there with Frank Lampard as one of the best goal-scoring midfielders in the country.
Although it has been a difficult few years for Liverpool since they fell away from the top four, Gerrard would surely have been able to make more of a difference if not for some problems with injuries. After a better run of fitness in 2012/13, the Reds skipper found some of his best form again, showing himself to always be reliable even in this new-look Liverpool team. He finished the campaign with 9 goals and 10 assists in all competitions, demonstrating that he’s still got it even as he approaches the latter years of his career.
Gerrard also has over 100 caps for England, and has captained his country on many occasions, being made permanent skipper by Roy Hodgson last year. Although England have struggled for success in recent times, Gerrard has more than played his part in keeping the national team competitive, and will be hoping for one last shot at a major tournament with the World Cup next summer.