Imagine you are Steven Gerrard and that in addition to being the captain of Liverpool you also have to be a transfer intermediary in your spare time. That was the unofficial moonlighting that the legendary midfielder network had when back in 2014 his club wanted to snatch from Real Madrid the signing of a Toni Kroos who wanted to leave Bayern. Or rather, Gerrard had the role of convincing him that he would be much better than the Bernabéu at Anfield. He tried, of Steve to Toni.
“God only helps those who try, so even though it seemed like a ridiculous thing, I tried”Gerrard himself wrote in the first person. Everything is recounted by the now Glasgow Rangers coach (and who in Liverpool they see as Klopp's future heir) in the new version of his autobiography (‘My Story’). In it, in addition to the two well-known attempts by Madrid to sign him, he narrates this curious approach to the German star before the World Cup in Brazil. And also the one he did with Willian, who chose Chelsea in the end.
“I had a kind of unofficial role at the club, that of persuading great footballers to come to Liverool. Our big goal for 2014 was too optimistic. Brendan rodgers (the then Liverpool manager) he loved Kroos and asked me to call him”. Its endorsement, to be a world legend. “Liverpool thought that an offer would have much more impact if it also came from my hand, that's why they asked me for it”.
In November 2014 Gerrard visited the Bernabéu for the last time.
JESUS ALVAREZ ORIHUELA
Gerrard does not spare details when recounting how the management went. “I knew that Madrid were about to make an offer to Bayern, so I felt a bit uncomfortable when I sent a message to Kroos. Toni was very respectful and didn't make me look like a real idiot, because shortly after he signed for Madrid”. The thing did not go any further. “He ignored me, everything was in a nice exchange of messages and I wished him good luck.”
Gerrard couldn't even play the card of being something of an idol for Kroos. It shows that the story has a second part and even a possible epilogue. In 2017, Kroos was asked in an interview with fans about three legends of the trade and which one he liked the most. Lampard, Gerrard or Scholes? “I'll stay with Scholes,” said the Real Madrid player. If Gerrard found out and picked up his cell phone again to send him a message, only they know …
They did not sign him and had to suffer him
The issue went from moving from a failed signing attempt, when Liverpool could not get hold of Kroos, to having to closely witness the mastery of the German player. Three times and in all of them Kroos took their measure. There was no long wait. Just months after the unsuccessful attempt undertaken by Gerrard, on October 22, 2014 the new Real Madrid signing visited Anfield and said little less with his performance This is Toni Kroos. With Gerrard everlastingly wearing the bracelet of the reds, the German champion passed by Modric like a plane in a 0-3 in the temple of Liverpool that went down in history. An ode to football.
That was in the group stage. Kroos was an architect in the Bernabéu game (1-0) and four years later, the final in Kiev. The Thirteenth. In that Gerrard was not there, but surely he remembered that little mission to sign Kroos again in 2014. The story could have been very different.