Steven Gerrard to Reach 700 Appearances as He Continues Long Goodbye to Liverpool
Steven Gerrard will play his 700th game for Liverpool on Wednesday night as they face Bolton in the FA Cup Fourth Round replay.
The Liverpool captain continues his long goodbye tonight ahead of his last ever Merseyside derby this weekend.
Reds boss Brendan Rodgers believes he could be the last man to ever reach 700 games for the club.
Rodgers told the press before the game, “Seven hundred is an incredible achievement and I’m not sure if it will ever happen again at this club.
“The professionalism isn’t just about the games, he has devoted every day to his football.
“He lives his life for it and is unique – a boy who lives a few miles around the corner and who has been coming here all his life.”
Gerrard was rested in last weekend’s 2-0 win for Liverpool against West Ham with a tight hamstring, meaning he is fit to start against the Trotters.
He will inevitably feature in the Merseyside derby at the weekend, but is likely to find himself rested for a number of games coming up for Liverpool.
Rodgers has indicated he will be making a number of changes ahead of the game at the Macron Stadium due to his side’s busy February schedule.
The end of the Gerrard era means that Rodgers will look to the likes of Raheem Sterling, Daniel Sturridge and vice captain Jordan Henderson to pave the way for the future.When asked about his captain’s future, Rodgers said that he wants to do all he can for him and if he decides to move into management side of the game he will be right behind him.
“If he wants to move into coaching or management once he sees his time finishing as a player, then I can point him in the right direction and help with that. I have done the dirty work and it is certainly a different story being a manager.
“I speak regularly with Garry Monk, who is in his first job in management, and what you feel as a player you feel 50 times more as a manager.
“If that was the route Steven wanted to go down and wanted to come in here to learn, then that door is always open. We will remain in contact when he moves on because he is a wonderful man.”
The winner of the replay tonight will face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in the fifth round.
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