The mutual respect between Steven Gerrard and José Mourinho has never been a secret. After all, it’s why so many Liverpool fans were left in fear that their talismanic captain would leave Anfield back in 2005.
In the end, Gerrard’s love for the Reds won the day. A move to Chelsea would never materialize, and Mourinho would never get the chance to work with the former Liverpool captain.
It’s not just Mourinho though who might look back on that episode and wonder what could have been. Gerrard himself has now admitted to having regrets over not getting to play for the Portuguese.
“I love the manager, I love the man. I’ve had a distant relationship with him for many many years.
“But, I have regrets for not playing for the man and the coach because I know he would’ve made me a better player. I know we would’ve added more trophies to what I’ve already won,” he told Rio Ferdinand’s FIVE.
Liverpool flew pretty close to the sun with Gerrard. In fact, his departure looked to be a done deal right up until the moment Rick Parry stepped out of Anfield and told the waiting media “Stevie’s staying”.
Nearly 20 years later, that should serve as a major warning. With Trent Alexander-Arnold approaching the final year of his contract, Liverpool cannot let the situation reach the same stage as it did with Gerrard.
Reports in recent days have been linking Alexander-Arnold with Real Madrid. Speaking on The Debrief, Fabrizio Romano suggested the interest from Real Madrid in Liverpool’s number 66 is ‘concrete’.
The solution would appear to be simple — tie the 25-year-old down to a new contract. With Michael Edwards in place as FSG’s new CEO of Football and Richard Hughes arriving as the new sporting director in the summer, that will surely be among the priorities.
But that might not be the only thing Alexander-Arnold needs. Gerrard regrets not being able to work with one of modern-day football’s best managers, and Liverpool will need to do everything in its power to make sure Alexander-Arnold isn’t left with the same feeling.
Of course, working under Jürgen Klopp will have scratched that itch, but with so much of his career still left, the academy graduate perhaps won’t want to settle for anything less. So, who better to work under than the man described as the “standout” manager of the new generation?
Xabi Alonso is the most sought-after manager in world football right now. Liverpool and Bayern Munich look set to battle it out for his services this summer after what looks set to be a Bundesliga title-winning campaign in his first full season at Bayer Leverkusen.
There is no guarantee that Alonso will pick either of them though. From his point of view, why would you risk moving elsewhere so soon when you know you’ve already got something good on your hands?
