Excerpts from Steven Gerrard's latest book "My Story" have been doing the rounds over the past month or so, but we've come across a very interesting look into Gerrard's role as captain from the free audio book sample over on Audible.co.uk.
In the four minute audio sample, we hear how once, before a big game against David Moyes' Manchester United, Gerrard had to convince Daniel Sturridge to play in the game, after he was unusure of his fitness despite getting the OK from the medical staff.
Gerrard then compares Strurridge to Luis Suarez, and says that the Uruguayan often played despite genuine injuries, and would "run through a brick wall for you" whereas he gives the impression that Sturridge is somebody who needs to be convinced they are able to play.
Our shared past with United was so tangled, so embittered, it consumed me. I was always desperate to play against them, even if there had been more defeats than victories. It seemed different for Daniel Sturridge.
My memories of that game are dominated by the build-up, and Daniel feeling he was touch and go in terms of his fitness and desire to play. Facing Man U without Luis (Suarez) was tough enough, but if we lost Daniel as well, most of our ammunition would be gone.
We stayed at the Hope Street Hotel and had our usual team walk before the match, I positioned myself so that I walked next to Daniel for the whole 15 minutes. I had to try to persuade him to play.
Daniel is one of those people you have to boost sometimes with a "Come on! You're our main man, just go for it!". You never needed to say that to Luis. It was as if he was indestructible. Luis doesn't really do treatment rooms, that's the Suarez mentality, he's run through a brick wall for you.
It was yet another of my tasks as captain, but I was probably more like a fan on the walk trying to persuade Daniel, eventually begging him to play. "Alright", Daniel said, "I'll give it a go". At last I could turn my attention to United.
It certainly paints Daniel Sturridge as a person who is regularly second guessing his fitness, but in fairness, you can hardly blame him after all the problems he has had in his career so far.
Listen to the full excerpt below (and prepare yourselfs for a very Scouse narrator):
via 101gg
