He was a little, quiet lad with a shock of blond hair. But he was a ferocious tackler, could shoot from 20 yards and his positional play was faultless. He was hitting those cross-field balls you still see now back then.
At the end of his first year, we played in a final against another local school called Blue Coat. We were losing 3-0 at half-time but he dragged us back in the second half. He scored a header, then a volley and we ended up winning 4-3. It was like Istanbul 15 years early!
BOOT BOY
One of Gerrard's first jobs on joining Liverpool from school was to clean STIG INGE BJORNEBYE'S boots. He quickly made a big impression.
I was never a big fan of the fact young kids had to clean boots for the first team but Steven was reliable, quiet and then focused properly on training. Out there he wasn't so quiet. He worked hard and had an aura even then.
I remember I used to watch the kids train at Melwood with Steve Heighway (the Academy Director). He'd point to Steven, shake his head in awe and say 'watch this kid - he's going to be something great'. The rest is history.
Since then I've never been surprised about his continuous steps forward, becoming one of the greatest in the history of the club, even without any league titles. If you look at Steven there is really no secret other than extremely hard work. Maybe that's why it's a secret for so many.
THE AGENT
STRUAN MARSHALL has been Gerrard's agent since he broke into Liverpool's team. Over the last 17 years, he has played a key role guiding him through the highs and lows.
I'd been told by Gerard Houllier that Steven was going to reach the top before I had met him. Gerard, along with Dominic Matteo and Jamie Carragher, all played a part in introducing us.
When we met for the first time, in a hotel in Liverpool, the thing that struck me was how clear minded and steely-eyed he was.
There was certainty in how he spoke and it was clear the sky was his limit. He wanted to know whether I was ready to get on board. We are quite similar in our outlook and that helped with the rapport. One theme I've seen run through his career is the fight between his professional ambition and hometown loyalty.
From the age of 18, he was always in demand and, of course, there were times when he was tempted to look over the garden fence to satisfy his ambitions but his loyalty was always the deciding factor. Winning the trophies he did at Liverpool meant more to him than another seven or eight anywhere else.
ENGLAND
He won 114 senior caps but HOWARD WILKINSON actually gave Gerrard his first taste of international football, when he marked his England Under-21 debut with a goal in a 5-0 win over Luxembourg at Reading in 1999.
I remember the night before we played Luxembourg, being at our hotel in Mottram Hall. Steven was walking around on his own and we started having a conversation. He told me he wasn't a good sleeper, that he couldn't go to bed at 9pm and relax.
He was a serious and dedicated guy but if there were any nerves, they were not betrayed in his performance. Back then his leadership was more by example than what he might say. There was no doubt in my mind that he was going to make it to the highest level.
THE MANAGERS
In October 2003, GERARD HOULLIER handed the then 23-year-old the ultimate responsibility of becoming Liverpool skipper. He has worn the armband 469 times in his 708 appearances.
He was stunned when I asked him. In fact I didn't ask him, I told him. But I needed to make a change and I knew instinctively he was the right man. He was a natural leader of men. He said it was the proudest day of his life. We had a strong relationship that went beyond the normal manager-player dynamic.
I remember seeing him at 17. He was playing for the under 19s. I'd gone to watch the game in search of a right-sided player. But there was this lean, box-to-box midfielder barking orders at the other players. He had this authority in the dressing room, even when he was young. Only recently I was watching the video of our UEFA Cup final in 2001.
At the end of the 90 minutes I'm there talking to the players. Then I notice Stevie, not even 21, talking to some of the more senior players, driving his right fist into his left hand, stirring them up. I had no idea at the time he was doing that. Amazing.
BRENDAN RODGERS
Liverpool manager
I will miss him. He played 42 games for me in the first season. He has made 38 appearances this season. That is the value I have of him as player.
But I will also miss him as a man. He is one of the very few genuine world-class players around. Knowing him as a person, he will be a miss. He is someone I have great admiration for. He is irreplaceable.
This is a guy who is very much about looking after his people. He has had numerous opportunities to move but what he has given to this city, politicians haven't given. The work he does, he is a wonderful symbol. He is an incredible icon. He is Liverpool.
THE TEAM-MATE
Gerrard has taken JORDAN HENDERSON under his wing and given Liverpool's vice-captain an invaluable education over the last four years.
Two days stick in my mind about Stevie. The first was when I joined Liverpool. He had been an idol of mine growing up and I was a bit nervous about meeting him but he couldn't have done more to put me at ease and help me settle.
He's a superstar and you think from afar that there might be an edge but nothing was too much trouble. It made me respect even more. The second was the day we found out he was leaving. Melwood is usually a lively place but when he told us, it was like a morgue.
Everyone was in a state of shock. I can't imagine what it will be like when he's not here next year. I just don't think there will be another like him.
SPORTSMAIL'S MEMORIES OF GERRARD
LEE CLAYTON (Head Of Sport)
He was in the thick of a title race, but still found time to send me a message: 'Congratulations on winning sports newspaper and website of the year, but what are you doing with that beard!'. It's a fonder memory than what he did to West Ham in the 2006 FA Cup Final.
IAN LADYMAN (Northern Football Correspondent)
The first time I saw Gerrard play properly was in an FA Cup tie at Tranmere in March 2001. He was 20 at the time and still making his way but he was outstanding on a pudding pitch, thundering into tackles and scoring a vital goal in a 4-2 win. It was a performance that set the tone for a career.
DOMINIC KING (Merseyside Football Writer)
He scored twice against Leicester on New Year's Day. Later that night, his world turned upside down with news breaking of his move to LA but, as he made his way from Anfield, he still had time to make a fuss of a starstruck five-year-old who had attended his first Liverpool game, posing for a photo and signing his programme. Oliver King will never forget it.
MATT LAWTON (Chief Sports Reporter)
Not necessarily a favourite but a moment I'll never forget. Gerard Houllier was giving me a tour of the then new facilities at Melwood when he insisted on taking me into the changing room to get Steven's verdict. This three way conversation begins with Steven and I feeling rather awkward and Houllier seemingly oblivious to the fact that his star midfielder was naked.
NEIL ASHTON (Football News Correspondent)
It is too easy to pick one of his career highlights so instead I'll settle on the FWA award he received at the tribute dinner in January 2013 at the Savoy. After an impressive speech he then visited every table in the room to shake hands with the several hundred guests while his wife Alex threw some shapes with her friends on the dancefloor. It was a small gesture by Gerrard, but a classy one all the same.
- Daily Mail
