Steven Gerrard played his last match at Anfield this weekend in Liverpool’s 3-1 defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace.
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It feels like an appropriate time to look back to the legendary midfielder’s first-ever appearance for the Reds.
That came back in November 1998, when a Liverpool side managed by Gerard Houllier bested Blackburn Rovers 2-0 at Anfield.
The victory saw Liverpool up to eighth in the EPL table—they would ultimately finish seventh—while Blackburn would end up being relegated.
While we all know what became of Gerrard, the nervous young midfielder making his debut that day, what became of the other Liverpool players who featured in that match?
GK: David James
Despite being nicknamed Calamity James during his early years, the Liverpool stopper became a respected figure in English football.
He was offloaded by Houllier in 1999 and went on to play for the likes of Manchester City, Aston Villa and West Ham United, before winning the FA Cup with Portsmouth in 2008.
The 6’4 stopper made over half a century of appearances for England, and represented the Three Lions at the 2010 World Cup.
He currently plays for Kerala Blasters in the Indian Premier League and was the club’s player-manager before being replaced by Peter Taylor.
LB: Steve Staunton
The respected defender had something of a peripatetic career.
He excelled at Aston Villa before moving to Liverpool in 1998, having previously been let go by the club. He was eventually released on a free transfer as Houllier looked to shuffle his options.
Staunton steadily dropped down the league ladder, and despite being a respected Ireland international—making over 100 appearances for the national side—he flopped as manager, and was fired after less than two years in charge.
He was last employed by Sunderland as a scout, but left the club in 2013.
CB: Stig Inge Bjornebye
The Norwegian centre-back was plucked from obscurity by Graeme Souness to become one of Liverpool’s finest bargain signings of the 1990s.
He made just shy of 200 appearances for Liverpool, but was deemed surplus to requirements by Houllier in 2000.
The defender moved to Blackburn Rovers but was forced to retire in 2003 due to a devastating foot injury.
Bjornebye held some management positions—as the assistant coach of the Norway national side, and as IK Start manager, and is currently sporting director of Rosenborg.
One of Gerrard’s first jobs at Anfield was to clean Bjornebye’s boots, according to the New Zealand Herald.
CB: Phil Babb
Defender Phil Babb never quite realised his potential, particularly considering all of his physical gifts.
He is perhaps best known among non-Liverpool supporters as the man who received a goalpost to the groin after sliding in to block a shot.
Injuries affected Babb’s time at Anfield and he was squeezed out by the Sami Hyypia-Stephane Henchoz axis.
He retired in 2003, and made a brief foray into management before leaving his role as Hayes and Yeading coach earlier this year.
RB: Vegard Heggem
The Norwegian defender was brought to Liverpool in 1998, but was gone two years later after managing 54 league games for the Reds.
The talented full-back’s time at Anfield was disrupted by injury, and his undisputed talent was all too rarely on show.
He was forced to retire due to an Achilles tendon injury and has subsequently run a salmon fishing lodge in his homeland.
MF: Jamie Carragher
In the late 1990s, it was clear that Jamie Carragher was already becoming a stalwart of Liverpool, although he hadn’t quite indicated that he would become a world-class centre-back.
Instead, Carragher was a versatile utility who was often shoe-horned into various positions on the pitch.
Of course, he would go on to become a hero of Istanbul and a bona-fide club legend.
Currently a pundit with Sky Sports.
MF: Patrik Berger
A combination of injury and irregular form means that even to this day, Czech playmaker Patrik Berger is something of an enigma at Anfield.
On his day, he was a dazzling prospect, but sadly, those occasions became all too rare under Houllier.
He left Liverpool in 2003 and featured for the likes of Aston Villa, Portsmouth and Sparta Prague before hanging up his boots in 2010.
He still plays occasionally for sixth-division Czech side Dolni Chabry, according to LFC History.
MF: Paul Ince
While another one of Gerrard’s first-ever set of teammates would later join Manchester United having been a hero at Liverpool, Paul Ince did things in reverse.
He returned to England, and the Premier League, in 1997 after two years with Inter Milan, having previously been the lynchpin of the United team of the early 90s.
Management hasn’t quite worked out for Ince, who has been in charge of the likes of Blackburn, Milton Keynes Dons and Notts County, and was sacked by Blackpool last year.
MF: Jamie Redknapp
Currently a well-respected pundit for Sky Sports, Redknapp was formerly captain of both Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.
He missed almost all of the Reds’ glorious year of trophies in 2001 through injury and left the club in 2002 after over a decade (and over 230 league appearances).
He played for three years at Spurs, before being relegated along with his father Harry at Southampton.
ST: Michael Owen
Back when Gerrard made his debut, Michael Owen was the golden boy of the Premier League and the great hope of English football.
Things didn’t quite work out to plan—mainly due to injury—while Owen lost some of his support among Liverpool fans by joining Manchester United late in his career.
He currently commentates for BT Sport and works as a football pundit for various other outlets.
ST: Robbie Fowler
The man nicknamed ‘God’ by the Anfield faithful remains one of the club’s favourite-ever sons.
He is still the sixth-highest goalscorer in Premier League history, and held the record for the fastest-ever Premier League hat-trick before Sadio Mane broke it this weekend.
Fowler left Liverpool in 2001, but returned to the club for a brief season of glorious nostalgia in 2006.
He subsequently represented the likes of Cardiff City and Blackburn Rovers before playing in Australia and Thailand.
Enjoyed a brief, forgettable spell as manager of Muangthong United and has since worked with the Liverpool academy.
Subs
Brad Friedel Understudy to James back in 1998 but went on to surpass the England Number One and become a Premier League legend. Recently announced his intentions to hang up his boots at Tottenham Hotspur, having previously featured for Aston Villa and Blackburn Rovers.
Bjorn Tore Kvarme Promised great things under Roy Evans, but never quite delivered and was sold by Gerard Houllier, with injuries certainly playing their role. Featured for the likes of Real Sociedad, SC Bastia and Saint-Etienne before retiring after a spell back at his first club Rosenborg. Retired in 2008 and is currently holds an advisory role with Rosenborg.
Danny Murphy A Premier League regular with Liverpool, Spurs and Fulham, Murphy represented England and is currently a pundit on Match of the Day.
David Thompson Appeared destined for great things, but never quite delivered, leaving Liverpool in 2000 after only 56 appearances.
Admittedly, injury played its part, and was to be a regular curse for Thompson during stays with Blackburn Rovers and Coventry City.
He retired in 2007 due to chronic cartilage trouble and has since got his UEFA licences.
Steven Gerrard