Steven Gerrard had apologised to his teammates for hogging the limelight this week.
He had twice refused the invitation offered by questioners to brand himself a Liverpool legend in what was an exercise in humility and also turned out to be one in factual accuracy.
It was suggested that he had scored 184 goals for Liverpool. “One hundred-and-eighty-five,” interjected a familiar voice, typically curtly.
Gerrard has never been one to boast, but he only took false modesty so far. He knows his place in history, even if he leaves others to spell it out.
His rhetoric has long been rooted in reality, providing a counterpoint to a career of stratospheric highs and depressing lows. It is why his words have always carried meaning.
As he prepares to play his last home game for Liverpool, against Crystal Palace on Saturday, he reflected with pride, disappointment and, at times, disbelief.
“I have achieved an awful lot more than I thought I would,” he said.
Gerrard has a 26-year relationship with Liverpool, dating from when he first attended their Centre of Excellence.
“If someone had said to me at eight when I used to get two buses to Anfield to train that you are going to play 708 games, win the trophies you have but have some low points, I would have taken that,” he said.
Being the brooding, introspective character he is, Gerrard alighted on the blot in an otherwise stellar CV. “Not winning the Premier League is a dent in that,” he said.
“There is nothing I can do about it now but it is certainly a regret I will go away with.”
He finished a runner-up three times, most recently last season. The sense is that thoughts of his infamous slip against Chelsea will linger with him long into the sunset of his life. So, too, with the spine-tingling memories of the night in Istanbul that, whatever he thinks, created a legend.
That night he became the force of nature who fashioned the greatest comeback of all, the Liverpool local who lifted the European Cup.
“Still to this day the hairs on my neck stand up,” he said. “It was the best night of my life. It was the pinnacle professionally and the best cup to win. I think it will go down in history as the best Champions League final ever.”
It was the worst for AC Milan.
Ten years on from that May day, Gerrard is set to appear at Anfield for a 354th and final occasion tomorrow.
Selecting highlights proved difficult. He settled for two: the December 2004 thunderbolt against Olympiakos, without which Liverpool would have been cast out of the Champions League long before they reached Istanbul, and the 2012 hat-trick against Everton.
“After all the stick I have had from the Bluenoses, that was nice,” he said.
Graeme Souness, a rival for the title of Liverpool’s greatest central midfielder, said at the time that if Gerrard had played for Everton, they would have won that game 3-0 instead, such was the power of his individual inspiration.
“I have always tried to pull for the team,” Gerrard said, but rarely has a team game been influenced so much by one man.
That propensity to affect all around him was recognised by Gerard Houllier, who appointed Gerrard captain at 23. “A very brave thing to do,” Gerrard said. “He was like a father figure.”
In a valedictory appearance at Liverpool’s Melwood training ground, he thanked those who have shaped a unique career and attempted to exert an influence on the future by dispensing advice to the next generations.
Raheem Sterling, he said, should stay at Anfield, rather than following Gerrard out of the exit. The winger’s contract dispute has the potential to lead to an acrimonious parting.
Gerrard’s goodbye is certain to be emotional. “The aim is to stay strong and avoid a few tears,” he said.
It has rarely been Gerrard’s way to show weakness, he does not intend to start now.
sports@thenational.ae
Four-day collections of TOH
Day Indian Rs (Dh)
Thursday 500.75 million (25.23m)
Friday 280.25m (14.12m)
Saturday 220.75m (11.21m)
Sunday 170.25m (8.58m)
Total 1.19bn (59.15m)
(Figures in millions, approximate)
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Haltia.ai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Arto%20Bendiken%20and%20Talal%20Thabet%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20AI%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2041%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20About%20%241.7%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self%2C%20family%20and%20friends%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Five films to watch
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Only Yesterday (1991)
Pom Poki (1994)
The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group B
Barcelona v Tottenham Hotspur, midnight
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Company%20Profile
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Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5