Steven Gerrard makes Chelsea guilt admission over abandoned Liverpool transfer

Former Liverpool star Steven Gerrard was heavily linked with a move to Chelsea during his playing days in what would have been a blockbuster transfer for the ex-England international

Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has shed light on his career as both a player and a manager, revealing how close he came to signing for Chelsea.

The midfielder is rightly considered one of the Merseyside club’s all-time greats, having risen through the academy ranks in the late 90s before earning a well-deserved promotion to the first team. He quickly became an integral part of the squad and was eventually handed the captain’s armband by the late Gerard Houllier, taking over from Sami Hyypia.

During his tenure at Anfield, Gerrard clinched the Champions League trophy in Istanbul in 2005, and played a key role in guiding the team to another final in the competition two years later in 2007. He also hoisted several domestic trophies, including two FA Cups and three League Cups.

However, the Premier League title always remained out of Gerrard’s grasp, despite a few close calls over the years. Liverpool were arguably not the powerhouse they are today, having since secured two league titles in the past five years under Jurgen Klopp in 2020 and current boss Arne Slot in 2024.

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Consequently, it was hardly surprising that Gerrard was linked with several top European clubs during his playing career, most notably Chelsea. Jose Mourinho, who managed the Blues between 2004 and 2007, winning two league titles during this period before returning a decade later to claim a third, made no secret of his desire to sign Liverpool’s captain, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Regardless of how near Gerrard came to joining Chelsea, he ultimately remained at Liverpool for the vast majority of his playing days. At 34, he eventually left Anfield in 2015 for MLS outfit LA Galaxy, hanging up his boots for good at the close of 2016.

Speaking recently with TNT Sports analyst Ally McCoist, the former Reds captain reflected on his entire career journey, covering both his time on the pitch and his transition into management. A significant portion of the discussion centred on Chelsea’s pursuit of him and what made the prospect so appealing at that juncture.

“A phone number on my phone that I didn’t recognise [was how I learned of Chelsea’s interest],” Gerrard recalled. “I called it back and it was Jose Mourinho.

“I was coming into a really good time and I felt confident. I was consistent and I felt like I could go up against anyone. There were a couple of teams showing some interest through my agent, but that one came and it was [tempting].

“This was in 2004 and I was very happy where I was. But after the Champions League final [in 2005], when we won it, I had three years left on my contract.

“The club was starting to speak to people who had three years left on their contracts, but I was getting a bit of a different feel from the club and a different feel from Rafa [Benitez]. Rightly or wrongly, my relationship with Rafa was strong from a football perspective, but very cold in terms of man management compared to [Gerard] Houllier.

“I was having conversations with Rafa where he was saying, ‘I know your agent’s speaking to Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Chelsea’, which wasn’t the case, by the way. He was saying to me, ‘are you sure you want to be here?’ and I was getting doubts.

“But to cut a long story short, I ended up signing the new deal with Liverpool and was extremely happy. Everything was fine with Rafa from there onwards, but of course I was guilty of doing a bit of flirting.”

One of the major factors that led Gerrard to even consider joining Chelsea was Mourinho’s influence. The Portuguese manager’s pursuit of Gerrard is well known, especially as he tried to recruit him on three separate occasions whilst in charge at Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid.

“Mourinho comes on the phone, arguably the best manager in the world at the time, and when he speaks to you, his convincing skills and people skills were high level,” Gerrard continued. “It was tempting, of course it was.

“Financially they’re offering you double your money, but for me it was all about how I was going to stay one of the best midfielders in the Premier League and how I was going to keep my England place. That’s what was going through my mind – and who wants me.

“Does Rafa really want me? Does he want to build it [the team] around me? Because if he doesn’t, I’m being told by arguably one of the best managers in world football that I’m going to be the main man. Now, whether he meant that or not is a different conversation, but he [Mourinho] was certainly convincing and made me feel that way.”