How Gerrard went from 'best night' to 'head like a box of frogs'
Steven Gerrard won the Champions League under Rafael Benitez in 2005, but says criticism by the Spanish manager left him feeling unwanted When Steven Gerrard reflects on the 2005 Champions League final, he calls it the best night of his life. , external But just two months later, he announced he was leaving Liverpool - before dramatically changing his mind overnight. During a Netflix documentary about the Reds' success in Istanbul, Gerrard acknowledges he was in a "bad place" mentally, with a head like "a box of frogs".
And he says criticism from then manager Rafael Benitez contributed to his potential departure from his boyhood club. In May 2005, Gerrard captained Liverpool to perhaps the most famous victory in their storied history as they came from 3-0 down at half-time against AC Milan to win on penalties and clinch the club's fifth European Cup. It was a moment fans hoped would convince Gerrard to commit his future to Liverpool amid interest from Spanish giants Real Madrid and Premier League champions Chelsea, who were managed at the time by Jose Mourinho.
Six weeks later, Gerrard announced he was leaving. Then he wasn't. "Mourinho was on the phone - the best manager in the world at the time, offering silly contracts, which would naturally turn your head.
Chelsea were spending fortunes, he was guaranteed success there," he says. "I can't park my relationship with Liverpool. When they came, I didn't know which way to go.
Mentally, I was in a bad place. My head was like a box of frogs. " "I felt like he didn't rate me, he didn't trust me, he didn't want me," says Gerrard, 45.