On his 33rd birthday, here are Steven Gerrard’s top five Liverpool goals

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard turns 33 today and to celebrate, we’ve picked out the top five goals he’s scored for the Reds throughout his career. It was hard to narrow it down to five to be honest.

Manchester United, 2001

As his frequent kisses of camera lenses down the years will attest, Gerrard loves playing against Liverpool’s most bitter rivals and he has scored quite regularly against them through the years.

His first goal against United is still probably his best, however, as he powered a trademark thunderbolt past Fabien Barthez in a 2-0 victory at Anfield in 2001.

Olympiakos, 2004

Gerrard was the driving force behind Liverpool’s famous comeback in the Champions League Final against AC Milan later in this season but they wouldn’t have been there in the first place were it not for his truly spectacular effort against Olympiakos in the final game in the group stages, which ensured Liverpool’s passage on goal difference.

Andy Gray certainly loved it anyway.

Middlesbrough, 2005

The Liverpool captain has scored more important goals, but from an aesthetic and technical point of view, this is arguably the best of the lot. Taking the ball down about 40 yards from goal just right of centre, there didn’t seem to be a lot on until Gerrard swerved a wonderful effort off the outside of his right boot into the top corner. Pick that one out.

West Ham, 2006

Throughout his career Gerrard has had the enviable habit of producing his best on the big days and so it proved in the 2005 FA Cup Final against West Ham, where Liverpool eventually triumphed on penalties.

They did it the hard way though and were trailing 3-2 heading into extra-time until John Arne Riise launched a hopeful punt into the area, it was headed away to the edge of the box and well, you know what happens next.

Aston Villa, 2006

A stereotypical Gerrard goal in many ways – around 30 yards out, firmly struck, flies into the top corner – but the sheer speed at which the ball hits the net in this instance is frightening and the trajectory seems to change halfway between the spot where it left Gerrard’s foot and entered the back of the net.

There was no stopping it, let’s put it that way.