The 22 March 2015 was a dark day in Steven Gerrard’s Liverpool career.
The 2014/15 campaign was the final season the midfielder had at Liverpool before departing Merseyside for the MLS to play for LA Galaxy.
Having gone so close to the Premier League title the year before, Gerrard hoped that Liverpool team would kick on, however, it was the opposite, as the 14/15 season was a disaster for the Reds which formed the foundations for Brendan Rodgers to lose his job that later that year.
As the Northern Irish coach struggled for solutions to his problems, Gerrard was in and out of the starting 11, something the Liverpool legend was not used to during his time at Anfield.
That all boiled over on 22 March 2015 as the Englishman saw a red card just seconds after coming on to the pitch against Man United.
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Steven Gerrard reacts to Man United red card in 2015
Gerrard had started some big games on the bench for Liverpool during the 2014/15 campaign with not playing from the off for the Reds’ trip to Real Madrid that season one example that annoyed the club legend.
When the same scenario played out against Man United, in what would be Gerrard’s last game against Liverpool’s biggest rivals, the frustration built up in the midfielder and it resulted in him seeing a red card after being on the pitch for just 38 seconds.
The former England captain made a strong tackle on Juan Mata immediately after taking the field but it was a second challenge where he stamped on Ander Herrera that forced referee Martin Atkinson into showing the red card.
Gerrard was devasted after the contest at Anfield, in which Liverpool lost 2-1, with the former captain admitting to Sky Sports that he let everyone at the Merseyside club down.
“I just need to accept it. I think the decision was right. I’ve let my teammates and the manager down today, and even more importantly, I let all the supporters down,” Gerrard said after the contest.
“I take full responsibility for my action. I’ve tried to jump his (Ander Herrera) tackle when I’ve seen his studs, and I’ve reacted wrong.
“I’ve been in the game long enough to know that when you do something like that, and you know, especially at that time of the game at halftime with 45 to play with a great opportunity to get back in the game. I take full responsibility for it.”
In the post-match coverage, Gerrard’s former teammate Jamie Carragher tried to provide some insight into how his friend would have been feeling coming onto the pitch. However, the Sky Sports pundit still labelled the incident as a “moment of madness”.
Jamie Carragher labelled Steven Gerrard’s moment vs Man United as ‘madness’
Emotions were always part of Gerrard’s game at Liverpool and they could either enhance or hinder the midfielder’s performances.
Having played with Gerrard for many years, Carragher was aware of this and raised the point in the aftermath of Liverpool vs Man United in 2015.
“It was a moment of madness. There’s no doubt – there would be frustration,” Carragher said on Sky Sports about Gerrard’s silly red card.
“He’s always been the man, the captain. There’s never been a case where he’s been out of the team and as soon as he’s fit he goes straight back in the team.
“Watching the first time from the bench, he’d have been disappointed. Liverpool weren’t playing well, they were losing but I think he’d have been watching players in his position, performing not great, and thinking: ‘Why am I not playing? Why am I not on that pitch?’
“Steven Gerrard is an emotional player – you see that in his career. He’s taken teams I’ve played in into some unbelievable moments. There’s no doubt being a local player, the emotion of these occasions, the frustration coming into this game, has contributed to the moment of madness.”
This was a dark day in Gerrard’s career and although it will never be forgotten, it has not overshadowed the legendary moments the former Liverpool captain had in a red shirt.
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