Avram Grant's praise of Steven Gerrard last week has some people wondering if Chelsea are again interested in the Liverpool captain, and if Gerrard - nearly 28 and no closer to a Premier League title than he was three years ago when he rejected a 32 million pound move to Stamford Bridge – would this time accept an offer.
Here's what Grant said, in case you missed it:
"For me, Gerrard is a great player and a great person For me he is the player of the year in England and maybe in Europe because of the influence he has on the team. He's very good, I like him very much as a player and I know him, he is a nice guy, a positive guy and his an example for many people. Unfortunately he plays against me, not with me but he is still my favourite player."
Hmmm…
Of course the interview, given on Friday, can be taken as part of the mind games before the big Champions League showdown tomorrow. Liverpool is perhaps engaging in their own tactics, with Rafa Benitez saying that a neck injury for Gerrard, suffered during training, could keep him out of the first leg.
However, Grant's words certainly renewed past fears for this Liverpool fan, and made me wonder if Gerrard ever wishes he'd taken the deal in 2005.
Hopeless idealist that I am, I badly want to believe that there are some professional athletes that care about things other than money, like representing your hometown club or being the symbol for a city's football. By rejecting the deal to Liverpool's rivals, Steven Gerrard renewed my faith. He must have realised then that winning a title with Chelsea would feel hollow.
However, three years later, with his club once more finishing fourth in the league and boardroom antics threatening to overshadow on-field play, you have to figure even another Champions League title may not be enough to persuade him to stay this time.
He must be asking himself what more can he do? He's led the club to the Champions League semi-finals three times in four years and gave this fan one of the most memorable nights of my life, when I watched in the First National Bank, surrounded by Liverpudians, as he helped the Reds come from behind to defeat Chelsea (perhaps that's a story for another time) in the second-leg of last year's semi-final. I couldn't begrudge him if he left, even if I came of (late) footballing age during the Gerrard generation. But I don't think I could stomach him playing for Chelsea.
Other Liverpool fans I've spoken with here in the UAE feel confident Liverpool will beat Chelsea again this year. In 2005, that went a long way toward Gerrard's decision to stay. When Liverpool beat them again in 2007, it helped salvage another mediocre season and hinted that next year there would be serious efforts at the league title. This year the promise will be the same as last. How long will that be good enough for Gerrard?
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