Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard has officially announced his departure from his beloved club after 17 years. In that process, he will be following former England team-mate David Beckham and join Los Angeles Galaxy in July after he completes his final season at Anfield.
The news may have been upsetting to long time Liverpool fans but to a major NBA star, he can’t wait to see the Merseyside man put on a LA Galaxy jersey. That man is none other than LA Lakers icon Kobe Bryant. Bryant has been known to be a football fan and had also watched some of the FIFA World Cup games live. The basketball sensation has expressed his happiness by asking Gerrard to “kick some ass”.
The Daily Mail quoted Bryant sending his best wishes to the Reds captain, “What can I say, man? Welcome to Los Angeles. Welcome to La La Land, and hopefully that means bringing another championship to the Galaxy. I’m sure it will. ‘I’m looking forward to getting out there and watching you do your thing.”
When speaking to the official LA Galaxy website he said, “I’ve been a fan of yours for a very, very long time, and your versatility, and your aggressiveness, and your leadership. Welcome to Los Angeles, man. Enjoy. Kick some ass in the process. I’ll be down there rooting you on my man. Peace.”
Gerrard has had an illustrious career with Liverpool winning all competitions except for the Barclays Premier League. One of his best performances was in the 2005 UEFA Champions League final where he inspired a comeback against AC Milan to win his first European silverware. He has been captain since 2003 and has been revered by fans. At the Galaxy, he will be joined by his former Reds team-mate Robbie Keane. He will join the list of Premier League legends like Thierry Henry who went to the United States in their later playing years.