Steven Gerrard moving to Celtic, this rumour has been there for quite some time now and it is only growing stronger. Even though the heartthrob of Liverpool fans is 36 right now, he could still take the Premiership by storm with the experience he boasts at the highest level. The ‘scouser, born and bred’, served Liverpool with the armband for more than a decade and used to be the lynchpin of the English national team for a long time.
With Gerrard’s contract with Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy expiring this December, many thought that it could bring the Englishman’s playing career to an end and it could probably start his second stint in world football as a coach. However, the rumour of a reunion with Brendan Rodgers at Celtic is getting stronger and stronger as he prepared to prolong his stay as a player. At first, it seemed nothing more than just a mere fantasy but you never know what surprise awaits you in the world of football!
Well, accommodating Gerrard into the starting XI won’t be too much of a problem at all for Rodgers. The only area Celtic lack quality and depth is central midfield. Nir Bitton is more of a defensive minded midfielder and it is pretty clear that the Israel international is struggling to do well in Rodgers’ 2-man midfield. The Northern Irishman is not a fan of using defensive midfielders and Bitton’s poor attacking qualities has made him out of favour.
Rodgers has mostly used either Callum McGregor or Stuart Armstrong in midfield alongside Brown this season. Both of them are wingers by trade and have good attacking qualities. However, there is a big room for improvement out there and Gerrard can bring that at least temporarily.
Gerrard will slot into the midfield alongside Celtic skipper Scott Brown with ease. Celtic do not need to make any kind of alternations to their lineup to make a room for the former Liverpool skipper. It is true that Gerrard does not have the legs anymore to cover every blade of grass but the Englishman’s range of passing is probably one of the best you will ever get to see.
Gerrard will play the role of a deep-lying playmaker while Brown’s role will box to box. With his energy and tenacity, the 31-year-old would make one hell of a partnership with Gerrard in midfield. Celtic’s attacking and possession-based football will be largely benefit from Gerrard’s ‘Hollywood passes’.
