Europa League final 2016: Steven Gerrard believes Liverpool are on the verge of a new era ahead of Sevilla clash
The former club captain experienced three European finals during his time at the club, winning and scoring in two
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Your support makes all the difference.Steven Gerrard has warned Liverpool that they should do everything to capitalise on their success if they beat Sevilla in Wednesday night’s Europa League final.
The 35-year-old midfielder left Anfield last summer after a 17-year-long spell with his boyhood club, during which he won and scored in both the 2001 Uefa Cup final and the 2005 Champions League final, captaining his side in the latter.
Gerrard, who also lost the 2007 Champions League final, has said his memories of those successful European campaigns are tinged with disappointment, given how Liverpool repeatedly failed to kick on and win more trophies.
However, the former club captain now feels that they should make up for lost time and, if they end the night by lifting the trophy in Basle, they are in the right place to make the most on their success.
“Nine years on from the last European final, it feels Liverpool is in as stable a position as I can remember a while, with everything in place to build on success in a way we didn’t quite manage on those previous occasions,” he wrote in his column for Wednesday's Daily Telegraph.
“There is a big difference between the Europa League Final and Champions League final - there is no getting away from that – but going into this game the foundations are back in place for Liverpool.
“There are similarities to both the 2001 and 2005 season, but there are also notable differences. There is a manager who understands how to win in Europe, just like Gerard Houllier and Benitez, but the ownership situation is more stable and from next season Liverpool will finally be in that 54,000 stadium we’ve been waiting for. The club can kick on.”
The similarities between Liverpool’s current campaign and their triumphant 2005 season are uncanny. That year, Rafael Benitez, a newly-appointed manager, made up for indifferent form in the league with progression in cup competitions, reaching the Carling Cup final in February.
Liverpool finished with runners-up medals in that competition, just as they did after a penalty shoot-out defeat at Wembley this year. In 2005, however, they recovered to win a European final and subsequently qualified for the following season’s Champions League, despite not earning a place in the Premier League’s top-four.
Jürgen Klopp's side finished 8th this season, their lowest league position since 2012, though they will be granted a place in European football’s elite club competition next season if they beat Sevilla.
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