Steven Gerrard

This Saturday, concludes one of sports greatest love stories.  I've been a Liverpool Football Club supporter for as long as I can remember and I clearly remember making a brown cardboard poster, supporting my team against Nottingham Forest in the 1988/89 FA Cup.  Playing sports and football at a young age, was due to my dad, who began an Under 10 football team, in our neighbour.  We played the game for hours on end and loved every moment of it.

Being at home, with my folks over the last few weeks, have evoked many precious memories from my youth, growing up in Kharwastan, Durban. Life was simple and the strong family values instilled in me were immeasurable.  

Similar to Steven Gerrard's 17 year love affair, with Liverpool Football Club, it seems that many values have been instilled into him by various role models along his chosen path.  He is a sporting legend to me and someone I have lots of admiration for.  Apart from his ability with the football at his feet, he is a "FAMILY MAN" and epitomizes "PROFESSIONALISM".  Having read he latest media release, "Stevie G", was apologetic to his "TEAM", as he feels he is taking away all the attention from the game against Crystal Palace. 

Apart from being a family man, he respects his parents massively and he praises the coaches, who have walked the path with him.  From Liverpool youth coaches, Steve Heighway, Dave Shannon and Huge McAuley, to his former manager Gerard Houllier, whom he saw as a father figure and the manager who gave him the club captaincy at the age of 23.  To his current coach, in Brendon Rogers, whom he feels is a great man manager.

Steven Gerrard, may not be seen as the greatest footballer in the world.  But he is a great to the many millions of Liverpool fans around the world.  He is a team man.  He is passionate about Liverpool, the club and the city and has stayed with the team through thick and thin and was not lured into chasing the power of the pound.  He is a humble man, who tries to live a life under the radar.  

This brings me to, the power of a role models. By definition, A role model is a person whose behaviour, example or success is or can be emulated by others, especially by the younger people.  The term " role model" is credited to sociologist Robert K Merton, who coined the phrase during his career.  Merton hypothesized that individuals compare themselves with reference groups of people who occupy the social role to which the individual aspires.  An example being the way fans will idolize and imitate professional athletes or entertainment artists.  

It is important to have role models but it's even more important develop your own philosophies and build your own legacy and not live in the shadow of others.  This hence, brings about dreams, goals and responsibility for those aspirations. 

Steven Gerrard's legacy will remain strong and loud for a very long time to come, due to his loyalty, passion and professionalism to the LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB.  

YOU WILL NEVER WALK ALONE  

@Craig_gov