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Your support makes all the difference.Steven Gerrard will play in his final Merseyside derby on Saturday evening.
The Liverpool captain, who departs for Los Angeles in the summer, has faced Everton 32 times previously in his stellar career and, to the chagrin of Toffees fans, has more often than not been on the winning side.
Starting with a 3-2 win in April 1999 where he played 20 minutes as a substitute, Gerrard has won a massive 17 of those 32 matches, drawing 10 and losing only five. The majority have come in the Premier League, but there was also the FA Cup semi-final win in 2012.
"It's the fixture that I look for at the beginning of the season," Gerrard told the Liverpool club website. "I love playing against Everton. I've got friends and family members who are big Blues and it's all about the bragging rights in the city.
"I'll focus on [Saturday's game] exactly how I have done in the previous derbies I've played in. It's a bit different from a normal league game, but I'm looking forward to that one and hopefully I can add to my good derby record."
Gerrard has also scored 10 goals in those matches, including a brilliant hat-trick in 2012 where he became the first Liverpool player to score a Merseyside derby treble at Anfield since Fred Howe in 1935; Ian Rush is the only Liverpool player to have scored more derby goals.
I'd look back on the game I scored a hat-trick in," said Gerrard on his favourite meeting between the two sides. "Personally, that was a great feeling after all the stick I've had over the years. But it's about the team and big derby wins.
"Also the FA Cup semi-final [in 2012], where we beat them at Wembley was a big one because I think there was a big confidence in the blue camp that they were going to beat us on the day and we managed to get that important win."
Gerrard, who has also been sent off twice in the fixture, says he doesn't mind the likely abuse he is going to get at Goodison Park.
"I love the banter with Everton fans,"said the former England captain. "It's what it's all about. It's about rivalries and big games of football.
"I'm up for all that. I don't mind it at all. Bring it on as far as I'm concerned. I've got respect for all the Everton players and the Everton fans. I think they're a terrific football club, but once that whistle goes I want to beat them. That's a good problem for me."
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