Just retired England captain, Steven Gerrard has revealed that the last three months have been the worst of his life after a disappointing end of season performance with Liverpool and a woeful three lion outing at the just concluded 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
The 34-year-old, who retired from international football after England’s poor display at the World Cup, confessed that missing out on the Premier League title after an unfortunate slip against Chelsea and his under average performance in Brazil, cast a dark shadow over his mood.
Liverpool had been in control of the title race until the midfielder’s unfortunate slip allowed Senegal international, Demba Ba to open Chelsea’s account in a 2-0 victory at Anfield, which turned Premier League fortunes back in favour of eventual winner of the league, Manchester City.
England’s failure in Brazil, ad Roy Hodgson’s side collected just one point from three games, was the height of the disappointment which Gerrard couldn’t just handle.
Speaking in the United States, where he is touring with the Reds, Gerrard confessed that the disappointment of allowing Ba to score the all-important opener in that Chelsea fixture in late April still haunts him
How do you think it was? Gerrard asked rhetorically. The worst day of your life? ‘There’s your answer.’
“I don’t have to watch something like that to go through the pain again and again.
“I’ve been through the pain in the dressing room afterwards and in the weeks and months after it.
“It’s probably been the worst three months of my life.
But you have to accept it happened, you can’t change it.
“It (the slip) was cruel. I haven’t lost my man at a set-piece, I haven’t missed a penalty or made a bad pass or a mistake.
“Every person on the planet slips at some point in their life, whether it is on the stairs or the floor. For me it happened at a bad moment.”
The Liverpool skipper said he had hoped he could put his disappointment at club level behind him by enjoying a good run with England in the World Cup but he was disappointed.
“You have to go through tough times. Unfortunately, I have had that tough time and then went to the World Cup hoping it would help me get over it.
“But it backfired. I have had two unbelievably massive lows in a short space of time.” Gerrard said.
Gerrard admitted that his club manager Brendan Rodgers did offer to help him had he chosen to continue playing for the national team but he had long decided to call time on his international career.