Steve Gerrard played like he couldn’t wait to get back on the football pitch as he turned out against Preston yesterday less than a week after spending the night in a police spell following his arrest on suspicion of assault.
Just when everything in Liverpool’s season seemed to be going swimmingly and as the 5-1 win over Newcastle last weekend was still sinking in, Gerrard’s shock arrest after an incident at a Southport bar threatened to detabilise their most competitive title challenge in years.
But Gerrard looked at his rampaging best last night and seemed to suggest he is able to escape his off-field problems when he walks out onto the pitch, almost to the point where he probably didn’t want the game at Deepdale to end.
It is interesting how some players seem to relish the prospect of going back to the day job while their personal lives are ensconced in scandal while others wilt under the pressure and abuse from opposing fans.
When Lee Bowyer and Jonathan Woodgate were accused of attacking Sarfaz Najeib in 2000, Woodgate’s performances suffered badly during the ensuing legal process while Bowyer seemed a man galvanised and played possibly the best football of his career.
The early signs suggest Gerrard’s vital contributions to Liverpool will not be affected as he faces negative front page publicity for the first time in his career.
As I have experienced covering cases as a news reporter, the legal process can be a lengthy one and cases can drag on.
Whatever the outcome, it is likely Gerrard will be available for Liverpool for a substantial period of time while proceedings are still ongoing and Rafael Benitez must be extremely grateful that he seems to be viewing the football pitch as a place of sanctuary rather than scrutiny during these testing times.
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