Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has admitted that he regrets leaving the club in 2015 without knowing that Jürgen Klopp was about to become the Reds’ new manager.
Gerrard brought his legendary 17-year Liverpool career to an end in 2015, moving to MLS side LA Galaxy. At the time, Liverpool were still under Brendan Rodgers, and Gerrard had been told that his role was likely to become more limited.
According to Gerrard, Liverpool had offered him a one-year contract extension, but conversations with the coaching staff suggested that he would become more of a bit-part player and would receive fewer minutes.
“I was offered a year contract at the back end of my Liverpool career to stay for one more year,” Gerrard explained.
The prospect of becoming a squad player was difficult for Gerrard, who was still determined to play regularly at the age of 35. He therefore decided that leaving Liverpool and continuing his career with LA Galaxy was the right choice.
However, there was a major twist that Gerrard could not have known about at the time.
Just months after his departure, Brendan Rodgers was dismissed and Jürgen Klopp was appointed Liverpool manager in October 2015. Klopp would eventually transform Liverpool into one of Europe’s strongest teams, winning the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League in 2020.
Looking back, Gerrard says knowing Klopp was coming would have completely changed his decision.
He revealed that he would have been willing to accept a reduced role for the opportunity to impress Klopp and potentially earn his place in the German’s team.
“If I knew Jurgen was going to come, I would have gambled and stayed and tried to impress Jurgen.”
Gerrard went even further, saying he would have sacrificed a great deal personally and professionally for the chance to work with Klopp.
The Liverpool legend ultimately described his decision as one he would have made differently with the benefit of hindsight:
“In hindsight, I would have stayed and took the gamble.”
The timing that changed everything
The timing makes the situation particularly interesting. Gerrard’s final Liverpool appearance came in May 2015, while Klopp arrived at Anfield only a few months later.
Had Gerrard stayed for another season, he could potentially have played under Klopp during the German’s first campaign at Liverpool. Whether Klopp would actually have used him regularly is impossible to know, but Gerrard clearly believes the opportunity would have been worth taking.
Gerrard eventually returned to Liverpool during the MLS off-season in November 2015 and trained under Klopp. At the time, Klopp welcomed him to train with the squad but ruled out a playing return because Gerrard was still contracted to LA Galaxy.
Gerrard’s Liverpool legacy
Despite this regret, Gerrard’s Liverpool career remains extraordinary. He made 710 appearances and scored 186 goals for the club, winning the Champions League, UEFA Cup, two FA Cups, three League Cups and the Community Shield.
He never won the Premier League with Liverpool, something that has remained another major source of reflection throughout his post-playing career.
Liverpool themselves recognised his enormous contribution in 2026 when Gerrard was voted No. 1 in the club’s Liverpool’s Greatest countdown, based on ability, impact, legacy and success.
The big “what if?” remains: if Gerrard had known Klopp was coming, he says he would have stayed at Anfield and taken the gamble. It means one of Liverpool’s greatest players narrowly missed the opportunity to work under one of the club’s greatest modern managers.
