From Liverpool to LA: Steven Gerrard’s departure from Merseyside makes no sense

It all seems a little strange. Twenty-five years after joining Liverpool as a child, Steven Gerrard is leaving. Yes, he's leaving as an icon, his name embedded in the fabric of the storied Merseyside club and considered by many to be the greatest player to have ever pulled on a fabled, red, Liver-crested shirt. But why is he going anywhere?

Last season, instead of being defined by his 13 goals (his second-best tally ever) and 13 assists in the Premiership, Gerrard was remembered for that slip against Chelsea. This season, he's scored nine goals in all competitions, four in his last two games. Against AFC Wimbledon in the third round of the FA Cup last weekend, he rescued his side again when they struggled against lower-league opposition and desperately searched for inspiration. As he did so consistently in his pomp, Gerrard rose to the occasion and grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck. His first goal was a firm, downward header to the far corner after collecting, feeding the ball wide and making a darting run into the area. His second was another cliche – that swirling, dipping free kick curled expertly just under the crossbar. It was vintage.

[Related: I would have signed new deal in the summer, says Gerrard]

Yet, to many, his departure has been inevitable. Earlier in the season, when Liverpool were devoid of everything, it was Gerrard who received the abuse. He was long-serving, long-suffering local boy who had done good. The captain. The leader. The player who decided against joining Chelsea in 2005 and instead toiled and struggled throughout the subsequent decade, always coming up short in what proved a torturous and futile search for success. That guy was being told he wasn't good enough anymore.

There would've been some merit to the argument had the Liverpool team been filled with players stepping up and delivering – something Gerrard has spent his entire career doing. But Anfield is lacking in much these days – the spark and tingle provided by Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge seems such a long time ago, a time when Liverpool fans were drunk on possibilities. Coming up short in a desperate attempt to scale the dizzying heights, the subsequent hangover has lasted for eight months and sobering up has been difficult. But, as always, through the haze and the piercing headaches, there's been Gerrard. He is the one constant. He is the one relentless star.

There's a common understanding that Gerrard isn't the same player anymore. But he's still a better midfielder than any other member of the Liverpool squad. Age dictates he can't be involved in every game but he should play the important ones. Gifted central midfielders are a rare commodity which is why at other clubs, they're treated with patience, understanding and respect.

At 34, Paul Scholes was still starting Champions League finals for Manchester United. He retired at 37, quickly reconsidered, rejoined the team and played on for a further 18 months. Elsewhere, Andrea Pirlo continues to be a mainstay for club and country in spite of his veteran status. At Barcelona, Xavi Hernandez's wind-down has been handled with care and he continues to have an important, albeit minimized, role, declining a summer move to America to remain in Catalonia and embrace the change instead.

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When he retired from international duty after Spain's dismal World Cup exit last June, manager Vicente del Bosque commented: “A team plays like its central midfielder. He marked our style. Xavi leaves a void but more importantly, he leaves a legacy.”

Gerrard should receive similar plaudits. Instead, Brendan Rodgers has said little. His latest comments lack any degree of warmth or appreciation. It's all a bit cold and ruthless and distant.

“Everything is said on the situation that needs to be said,” Rodgers did say recently. “His concentration is now on football, he has announced where he is going so you have all the information and he has done all his interviews. History shows players who have been great players here move on and it is an opportunity for other players to grab the mantle.”

Why wasn't Gerrard penned to a contract last summer, like he wanted? He wasn't asking for much. He had just enjoyed his best season in five years, as had his club. Now, they were dawdling. And for Gerrard, an insular and introspective person on occasion, it amounted to a lack of appreciation. Noted for his self-critical ways, Gerrard needs positive words and reassurance. Bizarrely, neither came and Gerrard was made a scapegoat for Liverpool's and Rodgers' failings.

His manager towed the populist line, dropped his captain but Liverpool still struggled. Soon he was brought back into the side. From the nine games he's featured in since, the club has lost once. In the space of four days this month, Gerrard – the old guy who allegedly can't do it much anymore – scored four times in two games. Around him, others have wilted, unable to muster pluck, character or energy. Liverpool were brushed aside by a poor Manchester United, were incredibly lucky to grab a point against an equally-poor Arsenal and on New Year's Day, they lost a two-goal lead and had to settle for a draw with Leicester City, the league's worst team. But, as always, through the haze, there's Gerrard.

But not for much longer. And how disheartening that is. Writing recently in his Daily Mail newspaper column, former Liverpool skipper Jamie Carragher discussed how the Gerrard situation was allowed to develop without the necessary concern or interest in its resolution.

“I said Liverpool couldn’t let him drift away. Now here we are,” Carragher wrote. “The drift has started. Do not underestimate the importance of feeling wanted, even for a top player.”

Carragher knows all about that, retiring at the end of the 2012-2013 season when Rodgers informed him his playing time would be reduced. Without Carragher, a commanding, dominant, no-nonsense centre-back, Liverpool conceded 50 goals the following year though their defensive problems were overshadowed by their offensive fireworks. Now, without Suarez and Sturridge, the team's frailties at the back are a growing concern. Even a 36-year-old Carragher would've turned out better performances this season than some of the team's new arrivals.

Ultimately, Gerrard didn't want this. He didn't want to shuffle away from Anfield and play a couple of seasons in relative obscurity in Los Angeles. As a swashbuckling figure, a thrilling player that's dominated Liverpool for so long, he deserves more than a quiet and largely undignified exit.

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Eoin O'Callaghan is a soccer journalist and broadcaster. Best known in North America for his TV work with Fox Soccer, he has also reported extensively for BBC, RTE and Setanta Sports. He writes about soccer for The Irish Examiner newspaper, beIN Sports, One World Sports and TheScore.ie. Follow him @EoinOCallaghan