Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard reveals letter from 'father figure' Chelsea manager

Steven Gerrard was approached three times by Jose Mourinho

 

STEVEN GERRARD admitted he has a letter from Jose Mourinho framed on the wall of his house.

 

Speaking on The Clare Balding Show on BT Sport filmed before the Chelsea manager's sacking, Gerrard revealed that before he left Liverpool Mourinho had contacted him one last time.

And Gerrard, who made 708 appearances for Liverpool in the Premier League but now lives in the USA and plays for LA Galaxy, has given the letter pride of place.

"It was after a charity match that we held at Anfield," Gerrard said.

 

"John Terry was kind enough to make his way down with Didier Drogba to play in the game and do his bit for charity and he handed me a letter, I didn’t know who it was off.  

"He just said open it, it’s a bit of a surprise for you.  

"So I didn’t want to open it in front of people, there was a lot of guys there, so when I got home I opened the letter and it was off this fella and it was a very nice message, a very touching message and the letter is now in a frame, pride of place in the house. 

"That’s what it means to me. 

"It was a nice touch which showed the other side of Jose Mourinho, not the Premier League manager or the world class manager, it’s the father figure, what he gives to players off the pitch and even players that have been a rival and have turned him down on two or three occasions, he is still humble enough and a gentleman to take the time out to write me a letter."

Gerrard's England team-mate Frank Lampard was the centrepiece of Mourinho's Chelsea side, and in the same interview the Portuguese boss admitted the idea of playing the two alongside each other almost made him take the England job.

 

However, instead he attempted to sign Gerrard for Chelsea on more than one occasion, an offer the Merseysider concedes was incredibly difficult for him to turn down.

"When Jose Mourinho comes calling it puts a player in a very difficult situation," Gerrard added.

"Only that I’d been at Liverpool since eight years of age and all my family are Reds and the club means so much to me, I’d have skipped down the M1 to play for him.

"I don’t have to say it, everyone knows the standard that he’s got in the game and if not the best manager in the world, certainly one of them. 

"So he put me in a difficult situation three times."

Steven Gerrard was speaking following his appearance on the new series of The Clare Balding Show which airs Thursdays at 8pm on BT Sport 1.