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On Tuesday 5th July 2005, Steven Gerrard handed in a transfer request to leave Anfield for Chelsea Football Club; just weeks after leading his boyhood club to the much-celebrated Champions League victory against AC Milan in Istanbul.

The transfer request came at a time when Chelsea were at the start of something huge. They had just been crowned league champions and Roman Abromovich was an owner with plenty of ambition and stacks of money to go with it as well. The Blues also had one of the most talented managers in the world in Jose Mourinho, who led Portuguese side Porto to Champions League glory the year before.

In light of Gerrard’s recent announcement, is there still a slight part of Gerrard that wonders what might have been? 2005 was as good as it got for Gerrard in terms of winning trophies for Liverpool. Chelsea, on the other hand, have grown from strength to strength since then, becoming one of Europe’s powerhouses. The one title that alludes Steven Gerrard is probably the most important, the Premier League. If he led Liverpool to glory last season, he may have considered that job done. However, when you are a player possessing Gerrard’s ability, the absence of a league title to your name is almost farcical.

Joining Chelsea would have undoubtedly been a risk, but one that could have paid off. A Chelsea team with Steven Gerrard included would have been sublime, and having a player of that ability in the side could have resulted in more trophies arriving at Stamford Bridge over the years. Although the offer to move to West London would have been a hard one to turn down, Gerrard eventually opted for a heart-over-head decision to stay put with Liverpool.

Some may say that it was the wrong decision. However, Gerrard has become one of the greatest Liverpool players of all time and his commitment to the club will never be forgotten.

His association with Liverpool is similar to the impact Alan Shearer had at Newcastle United. Shearer was offered the chance to sign for Manchester United from Blackburn Rovers in 1996 before deciding to join his beloved Newcastle United. He then went on to become the Premier League’s all-time top goalscorer with 260 goals. Shearer will always be remembered for just how good a player he was, not for the amount of trophies he may have lost out on by joining Newcastle.

The same applies to Steven Gerrard, if he is remembered for not winning a Premier League title in 30 years time and not for being one of the finest footballers of his generation, something has seriously gone wrong with the world.

He has enjoyed a glorious career where he has shone at his hometown club, leading them to levels that would have been unachievable in his absence – think of Cardiff in 2006. He became a great England captain and has continued to perform brilliantly on a consistent basis both domestically and internationally.

The only regret that may be in his mind at the moment is the possibility that he is leaving Liverpool football club too early. Realistically, he is still Liverpool’s best player. As he has got older, he adapted his game slightly to suit his tiring legs, yet he is still the club’s top goalscorer this season.

Although Liverpool may feel like it’s the right time to let their captain leave, Frank Lampard has proved at Manchester City that he is still one of the league’s best at what he does. The same applies to Steven Gerrard, there is an overriding sense that he is joining the MLS prematurely and fans of the Premier League are missing out on another couple of seasons of Gerrard at the highest level.

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Overall, Gerrard may look back on what happened in 2005 and wonder if he made the right decision. However, since then he has cemented himself into Anfield folklore and is easily one of the best central midfielders the Premier League, and the world, has ever seen.

He may not have a Premier League title to his name but Gerrard remains one of the greatest talents this country has produced and his achievements in the game will be fondly remembered for a long time to come.

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Chelsea and Arsenal are set to go head-to-head in the race for Marouane Fellaini, according to reports from The Metro.

The Belgian has a reported £22m escape clause in his contract with Everton, which is available to teams competing in European competition.

It’s believed that this was written into his deal when it was extended in 2011, with the player keen to perform on the biggest stage in club football.

Chelsea are said to be highly interested in the 25-year-old and see him as the ideal long-term replacement for Frank Lampard, who is set to leave the club at the end of the season.

Arsenal are also thought to be in the race, after being impressed by Fellaini’s recent performances.

The ex-Standard Liege man has been in fine form this term, with manager David Moyes utilising him in a position just behind the striker.

He has weighed in with nine goals in 18 league games, attracting the attention of many top clubs.

Fellaini arrived at Goodison Park in 2008 from his homeland in a £15m deal.

He has gradually improved season-by-season, but has really evolved during the start of the current campaign.

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Despite his level of ability there are concerns regarding his temperament after he received a three-match ban for head-butting Stoke’s Ryan Shawcross.

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The Chelsea fans in the Transfer Tavern have been reacting to their club’s loan watch on Twitter. Chelsea’s officialÂTwitter account tweeted a link to the Chelsea website, where they detail how all of the players who are currently out on loan are getting on at their temporary clubs. A number of fans have been reacting to the tweet, calling for the club to recall a number of their on-loan stars.

Chelsea have developed a reputation over the years for loaning an obsceneÂnumber of young players and thenÂfailing to promote them to the senior squad upon their return. This season a number of players have left Stamford Bridge on a temporary basis. Players such as Michy Batshuayi, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Marco Van Ginkel, Charly Musonda and Kenedy are just a handful of those who have been overlooked by the hierarchy at Chelsea as they look to eventually break into Antonio Conte’s first-team.

Some youth players have even opted to leave Chelsea on a permanentÂbasis to secure first-team opportunities over the last couple of seasons. Dominic Solanke, Nathaniel Chalobah and Nathan Ake all moved on from Stamford Bridge last summer after the Blues failed to give them a chance in the first team. Now the fans have been calling for the London club to give some of the current loan stars a chance upon theirÂreturn as they fear that they could be set to lose more young talent.

You can read our resident Chelsea fans’ verdict here:

Many football fans would have been scratching their heads when Neil Lennon took the manager’s job at Bolton Wanderers in October.

The Scot was very impressive at Celtic, guiding his team to a famous Champions League victory over Barcelona as well as performing consistently well in the Scottish Premier League. Many had tipped him to work in English football after he left Celtic, with his name being linked to vacancies at clubs like Norwich City and West Bromwich Albion.

Lennon eventually returned to the game with Bolton Wanderers, a surprise move to a club that was rooted in a relegation battle at the bottom of the Championship. Dougie Freedman, Bolton’s former manager, could only register one league win in the opening 11 games of the Championship season. In Lennon’s first game in charge, he guided Bolton to an important 0-1 away victory against fellow strugglers Birmingham. Since then, Bolton have hit good form and are slowly working their way up the Championship table after a dismal start.

Lennon’s managerial style is plain and simple, he doesn’t muck about. In his first week in charge, he banned Bolton’s players from wearing beanie hats in training. It seemed like Lennon was determined to let the players know who was in charge and this bullish attitude has paid off. Since Lennon took over at Bolton, he has led them to five victories out of a possible nine, only losing twice against Norwich and Charlton. They are currently on a five-match unbeaten streak and have moved up to 17th in the league, four points clear of the relegation zone. It looks as if Lennon has brought stability to a club that had started the season really poorly.

As well as stability, Lennon has encouraged more of an intricate style of football, developing Bolton into a team that pass the ball well, making it easier to keep hold of possession. Bolton had managed to score in every league game since Lennon’s arrival until the 0-0 draw with Reading. However, what is important is that that they pick up points and gradually move up the table. Lennon stated that Bolton could make the play off places if everything went to plan. Whether this is an accurate estimate remains to be seen but what is clear is that Lennon’s fresh impetus and approach to management has transformed things at Bolton.

The signing of Eidur Gudjohnsen will only help the squad by adding experience and quality. Although the former Icelandic international is coming to the end of his career, he will act as a good example for the younger players to follow and his previous associations with the club will mean that he can settle in very quickly. As well as Gudjohnsen, Bolton fans could be seeing former England international and ex-Liverpool striker Emile Heskey featuring for them in the Championship this season.

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The 36-year-old clearly has a wealth of experience to his name and offers excellent physicality up front. Lennon has taken Heskey on a two-week trial to see whether the big striker still has what it takes to perform at this sort of level. Whether he signs or not, Lennon is clearly determined to improve the team and do everything he can in order to give Bolton more of a boost in terms of aiming for the play-off spots.

Credit must also be given to Phil Gartside, the Bolton chairman, who acted quickly and effectively when the club were struggling no end at the lower depths of the Championship. The sacking culture in the Championship is monumental compared to the Premier League at the moment but Gartside’s actions have proved that he made the right decision for the club. The appointment has got the club out of trouble and looking forward, something that didn’t look particularly achievable just a couple of months ago.

Paris St Germain boss Carlo Ancelotti has ruled out any big money signings in January as he is happy with his talented squad.

The former Chelsea manager has been able to splash the cash since he arrived at the French capital in the summer but new signings are not currently at the forefront of his mind.

The likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva were bought in the summer and despite the club being back by mega rich foreign owners; it is unlikely that they will throw money around in this transfer window.

Chelsea left back Ashley Cole and England legend David Beckham have both been linked with a free move to the club which is something that Ancelotti is refusing to rule out.

Ancelotti has not dismissed the chance that PSG will do business in the January transfer window but he is delighted with his current squad and despite losing a few fringe players, he doesn’t see January as a busy time.

“We will not refuse (new signings) but we do not need other player,” Ancelotti told French paper Sport Style

“We have very good players back, middle and front.

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“Managing over 30 players is not easy.

“I already said that if players want to leave the club, we can think but today there is nothing official. Some players were asked to leave, but there is nothing official. 

With Nathaniel Clyne sidelined through injury, promising youngsters Joe Gomez and Trent Alexander-Arnold have shared right-back duties at Liverpool for the majority of the season.

The two prospects offer a useful variation in styles too; England international Gomez is the more solid defender – often billed as a future centre-half – whereas Alexander-Arnold is more offensive-minded and likes to make key contributions going forward.

So with a huge Northwest derby on the horizon, we asked Liverpool fans earlier this week to vote for which player they’d like to see start at right-back against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday.

It was Gomez who helped Liverpool keep a clean sheet in their last outing, against FC Porto in the Champions League on Tuesday night, but perhaps because he offers that local-lad-passion academy products always seem to inject into derby games, Alexander-Arnold came out on top in our poll with 63% of the vote.

How would you line up Jurgen Klopp’s side on Saturday, Liverpool fans? Let us know by commenting below…

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The Premier League often overlooks the ChampionshipÂas a viable recruitment pool, often favouring cheaper, better-proven talents from foreign top flights instead.But England’s second tierÂstill has a lot to offer in terms of future Premier League stars,ÂshouldÂyou know where to look, and just to prove it, here’s a list of FIVE ChampionshipÂprodigies that have reportedly caught West Ham’sÂtransfer attention.The East London side snapped up Diego Poyet and Aaron Cresswell from Championship clubs during the summer. Could one of these FIVE follow their paths in the near future?

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NATHAN REDMOND

The Hammers were strongly linked with Nathan Redmond prior to Norwich City’s £2million swoop for the former Birmingham City youngster in summer 2013:

And the East London side might feel compelled to revive their interest in the touchline-hugging winger after his impressive start to the season.

The 20 year-old’s no goals and three assists in 15 Championship appearances may be rather ordinary output, but statistically, he’s one of the Championship’s most effective attackers. Redmond’s not only at the top of the division’s dribbling charts:

But his 3.2 chances created per match (represented as key passes) is the third-best return in the league:

A regular for England across the junior levels, amassing nine goals and 54 caps from the U16s to U21s, the wide-man is no stranger to the radars of top Premier League clubs, including Liverpool and Manchester City. Here’s a look at Redmond in action:

Having shown glimpses of his potential in the top flight last season as the Canaries failed to stave off relegation, and now demonstrating his dominance of the Championship, if Norwich don’t bounce back as expected this year, it’s likely someone will take Redmond off their hands.

Recent speculation however suggests Southampton are preparing a £5million offer in January.

Dan Burn

Measuring in at a whopping 6 foot 7, everything about centre-back Dan Burn screams Sam Allardyce. The Fulham starlet has been linked with an Upton Park switch in recent weeks, amid concerns that the Hammers could be forced to sell Winston Reid in January:

Not to suggest height is the only thing the West Ham boss looks for in a transfer target – the 22 year-old has largely (excuse the pun) impressed this season City last term, despite the Cottagers struggling at the less flattering end of the league table, following a coming-of-age loan spell at Birmingham. Here’s a look at his stats over the last 18 months:

Burn struggled during his prior Premier League outings and the technical side of his game still requires some work. But he’s an unstoppable force in the air and is at his best when sticking to the basics, which fits perfectly into the defensive mantra West Ham have adopted under Allardyce.

The Irons boss was surprisingly coy when asked about Burn in this week’s press conference:

Whether that rules out a January bid remains open to interpretation, but clearly, the Blyth-born defender has caught somebody’s attention at Upton Park.

MOSES ODUBAJO

Spurs and West Ham were both linked to League One starlet Moses Odubajo during the summer:

…following a campaign in which his twelve goals across all competitions fired Leyton Orient to the League One play-off final – where the 21 year-old netted this absolute stunner against Rotherham:

Brentford snapped up Odujabo, a winger-come-right-back, instead and he’s since adapted well to life in the Championship, as shown below:

Quick, powerful, industrious, versatile and boasting an impressive eye for goal, the Greenwich-born youngster would give the Hammers’ coaching staff a plethora of positive assets to work with.

He won’t be attainable until next summer at the earliest, but should Odubajo remain consistent for the Bees this season, his prior Premier League suitors will undoubtedly revive their interest.

ADAM REACH

According to Here Is The City, West Ham are currently monitoring the development of Middlesbrough winger Adam Reach, despite him recently penning new terms at the Riverside.

The tricky winger, whose understandably earned comparisons with fellow Boro academy products Stewart Downing and Adam Johnson, has been in decent form this season, finding one goal and two assists in 13 starts – including this cheeky finish against Fulham back in October:

He also netted past Liverpool in the Capital One Cup:

The 21 year-old’s output may not be outstanding, but he’s still acquainting himself to second tier level after productive loan spells at Shrewsbury and Bradford last season, ending both tenures with three goals.

Furthermore, he’s averaged the most successful dribbles of any Boro player this season, as shown below:

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With Reach recently agreeing a new four-year deal however, the Boro starlet’s market value is well protected.

Chris Solly

Perhaps Chris Solly is a little old to be considered a genuine Championship prodigy at 23 years of age, but nonetheless, the Charlton defender remains a target the Hammers have run the rule over in the past:

There are certainly better-rounded full-backs in the English second tier but Solly does the simple things well – particularly tackling, with his current average joint-top of the Championship’s tackle charts:

He offers experience too, having made 136 league outings for Charlton since his debut in 2009. Solly’s also won the Player of the Year award twice in that time period, in 2012 and 2013, which tells you how highly-rated he is around the Valley.

The attacking side of Solly’s game is improving too, as the 5 foot 8 defender continues to recover from a near-season-long spell on the sidelines. He’s got the joint-most assists of any Addick this season:

..and netted this absolute stunner against Blackpool at the end of last term:

Should Carl Jenkinson’s loan move not be made permanent at the end of the season, West Ham may revive their interest in the former England U17.

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Manchester United have been handed encouragement in their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund’s Robert Lewandowsi, after the clubs chief executive admits ‘economical factors’ will decide his future, the Telegraph reports.

Sir Alex Ferguson has been a long term admirer of the towering Polish striker and even personally went to scout him at the Etihad Stadium in October while he was in action against Manchester City in the Champions League.

Dortmund reportedly rejected an offer for the 24-year-old from United in August, the same month that Ferguson landed Robin van Persie from Arsenal. However the United chief still seems interested in bringing the striker to Old Trafford.

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With Lewandowsi rejecting Dortmund’s offers of extending his current contract which expires in 2014, the clubs chief executive has admitted that the right fee could prize their star forward away from the club.

“We will have to make decisions in this case at the end of the season. We may decide on economical factors.” Watzke said.The Polish international has a prolific record for Dortmund scoring 39 goals in 82 league games and it is understood that he is keen to move to the Premier League, with United his favoured destination. The Red Devils also signed currently injured Japanese international Shinji Kagawa from the German club in the last transfer window.A deal for Lewandowski in the summer looks most likely and if he was to join, he would add to an array of talented forwards at Old Trafford with Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie, Danny Wellbeck, and Javier Hernandez already at the club.

According to The Guardian, Barcelona want to bring Tottenham Hotspur attacker Christian Eriksen to Camp Nou at the end of the season.

What’s the story?

Barcelona spent big to sign Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool in January, but it is understood that the Spanish giants are still looking to improve their midfield as Andres Iniesta enters the latter stages of his career.

The future of Ivan Rakitic is also said to be up in the air, with the Croatia international currently being linked with a move to Manchester United.

According to The Guardian, Barcelona have identified Tottenham’s Eriksen as the perfect player to boost their squad in this summer’s transfer window.

Eriksen has been with Tottenham for the last five years, and there is no question that the Denmark international has developed into one of the finest attacking midfielders in the European game.

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Spurs will of course be desperate to keep hold of the 26-year-old, but it would surely be difficult to resist the interest if Barcelona came calling at the end of the season.

Is Eriksen good enough for Barcelona?

Eriksen’s numbers for Tottenham speak volumes. Indeed, the Dane has scored 51 goals and registered 65 assists in 214 appearances for Spurs in all competitions.

He actually managed 65 assists in 163 games for Ajax before making the move to England, and there is no question that the attacker has improved over the last couple of years.

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Indeed, the 26-year-old, who is believed to be on £75,000 a week at Spurs, has been key to Tottenham’s recent impressive form, with nine goals and nine assists in 35 matches in all competitions during the 2017-18 campaign.

It is not a surprise that there is talk of interest from Barcelona, and there is no question that Eriksen has the ability to operate at the top level.

Indeed, he has impressed in the Champions League this season, and it will be very interesting to see whether Barcelona make an official move this summer.

Over the past five years, it has been a whirlwind experience for everyone at Crystal Palace. On the brink of administration, a fierce relegation battle and Championship survival on the last day of the season, winning a play-off final to get promoted to the Premier League and surpassing everyone’s expectations by finishing 11th in England’s top flight are some of the highs and lows that the Eagles fans have gone through. It’s safe to say that there is never a dull moment at Crystal Palace.

At the start of the 2013/2014 campaign, many were shocked at the sacking of the eccentric Ian Holloway, with his character alone seemingly being the main reason why fans trusted in the former Blackpool boss. But no one knew how much of a success Tony Pulis was going to be. Sitting at the foot of the Premier League table when Pulis took over the club in November, the ex-Stoke manager used his credentials and fantastic football knowledge to maintain his record of never being relegated as a manager. The South East London club were a force and struck fear into many an opposition manager when the Welshman was at the helm.

Now times have changed with former Sheffield United, QPR and Leeds United gaffer Neil Warnock returning for his second spell at Palace after Pulis had disagreements with chairman Steve Parish over transfers which forced him to resign, something that shocked English football. Currently sitting in 16th place, two places above the dreaded relegation zone, the Eagles are no longer the force they once were under the stewardship of Warnock, and the risk of a season back in the second tier of English football for the 2015/2016 season looms.

The comparison between Warnock and Pulis at Palace show the latter’s Eagles side conceded less goals, had both more shots and more shots on target, produced more accurate crosses and won more tackles and interceptions. However, it doesn’t matter what club Pulis is managing, the former Plymouth Argyle chief will always be associated with long ball football. Under the guidance of Warnock, Palace have had more possession, scored more goals, made more successful dribbles and are fouled more often than the Crystal Palace under Pulis. The anthesis of ‘tika-taka’ football, Pulis set up his sides in a superb defensive manner, while Warnock likes his sides to play more open.

Last weekend’s defeat at home to table toppers Chelsea was a prime example of what could have been. Palace were aiming to emulate what they achieved last season when they took maximum points from Jose Mourinho’s men thanks to a John Terry own goal. It could have been the same again, had it not been for the sending off of centre half Damian Delaney. Unlike the management of Pulis, Palace will not be picking up as many unexpected points against the top teams. Nevertheless, Warnock’s Palace are more likely to beat the teams around them, especially at home where they benefit from fantastic support, as he encourages his teams to attack. This is why Palace will spend another season in the top flight.

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