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Is Steven Gerrard Liverpool's greatest of all time? We look at the case for and against

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Brendan Rodgers has said the word ‘legend’ doesn’t do Steven Gerrard justice – but is the midfielder Liverpool’s best-ever player?

Following the announcement Gerrard will be leaving the club at the end of the season, skysports.com weighs up the argument for and against the former England captain being labelled Anfield’s finest of all time.

FOR 

“He’s about big moments at big times and that’s what special players do,” said Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher when asked about his former team-mate. And there’s no question Gerrard has delivered when Liverpool have needed him most.

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Jamie Carragher said it will be a sad day when Steven Gerrard plays his last game for Liverpool

From his last-gasp stunner against Olympiakos to keep Liverpool in the 2004/05 Champions League to the injury-time 35-yard thunderbolt against West Ham in the 2006 FA Cup final, decisive late strikes have become a trademark of the Reds' skipper.

The Champions League final in 2005 was another example of Gerrard’s Roy of the Rovers-style influence on Liverpool. With Rafa Benitez’s men shell-shocked and trailing 3-0 at half-time to AC Milan, Gerrard inspired a stunning response from his team-mates, heading in Liverpool’s opener before winning the penalty for their dramatic equaliser six minutes later, after Vladimir Smicer had scored their second, to set up a shoot-out victory.

But consistency has also been a huge element in propelling Gerrard to his standing in the game. With 695 Liverpool appearances in all competitions to his name, only Ian Callaghan and Carragher have made more league appearances for Liverpool, while Gerrard is the club’s sixth-top scorer of all-time and has more goals in European competition than any other Reds player.

More from Gerrard To Leave Liverpool

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Watch Gerrard's famous strike against Olympiakos

He has winners’ medals for the 2005 Champions League, two FA Cups, three League Cups, plus the UEFA Cup, UEFA Super Cup and Community Shield. Few players have had such a powerful impact on the fortunes of their club as Steven Gerrard.

AGAINST

Despite all those decorations there is, of course, one medal missing from Gerrard’s collection; in his 17 years playing for Liverpool, the Reds have not won the league title.

Comparing players from different generations is always a tricky task, and suggestions Gerrard is Liverpool’s best-ever will always be undermined by his and his team-mates' failure to capture the Premier League.

Among his rivals for the title as Liverpool’s greatest, the likes of Kenny Dalglish (six league titles), Ian Rush (five), Graeme Souness (five), Kevin Keegan (three) and Callaghan (five) were all champions of England on numerous occasions.

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We look back at Steven Gerrard’s career stats, with him set to leave Liverpool at the end of the season

Whether that is Gerrard’s mis-fortune to have played in the era he has is up for debate, however, there’s no denying, Liverpool have a huge pool of talent vying for the status as their best-ever.

Given Dalglish’s mastery and Rush’s prolific goal-scoring, Souness’ leadership and Hansen’s defending, picking one name above them all is no easy task.

Is Gerrard Liverpool’s best-ever player? Vote in our poll on skysports.com

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