Steven Gerrard

Steven George Gerrard MBE (born 30 May 1980) is an English professional football manager and former player, who manages Premier League club Aston Villa. Described by pundits and fellow professionals as one of his generation's greatest players, Gerrard spent the majority of his playing career as a central midfielder for Liverpool and the England national team, captaining both.

Born in Merseyside, Gerrard played for Liverpool from 1998 to 2015, winning nine trophies, including the UEFA Champions League, two FA Cups, and three League Cups. He was Man of the Match in the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final, in which Liverpool overturned a 3–0 deficit to defeat AC Milan on penalties, and the 2006 FA Cup Final, which has been termed The Gerrard Final in homage to his performance. Despite success in cup competitions, he never won the Premier League. Gerrard won 114 England caps between 2000 and 2014, captaining the team 38 times and scoring 21 goals. He played at three UEFA European Championships, in 2000, 2004 and 2012 (where he was named in the Team of the Tournament) and three FIFA World Cups, in 2006, 2010 and 2014.

Gerrard began his managerial career managing the Liverpool Youth Academy's under-18 team. His senior managerial career began in 2018 with Scottish Premiership club Rangers. In his third full season in charge, Gerrard's side went unbeaten in the league to win Rangers' first league title in 10 years. In November 2021, he became the manager of Aston Villa.

As a player, his individual awards include UEFA Club Footballer of the Year in 2005, PFA Players' Player of the Year in 2006, FWA Footballer of the Year in 2009, appointment as a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2007, and induction into the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2021. He was named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year a record eight times. As a manager, he was named as Manager of the Year for 2021 by PFA Scotland and the SFWA.