CARSON, Calif. – Steven Gerrard has been in Southern California for nearly a week now, and he's already making his presence felt.
The legendary Liverpool midfielder, who will be introduced to the club's fans at halftime of Saturday's Fourth of July meeting with Toronto FC at StubHub Center (10:30 pm ET; MLS LIVE in the US, Sportsnet in Canada), has “jumped straight in and he's been helping the players,” captain Robbie Keane reported following Friday's training session.
“He's settled in very well,” said Keane, a longtime friend (and one-time Liverpool teammate) of Gerrard's. “He's a good person. He's a good guy on and off the field, and the players are responding to him and his training and the way he plays and how he gets the ball and moves it quickly. They'll learn from Stevie.
“He's going to be a huge player for us, and I think everyone is really excited to have him here.”
Gerrard, who has trained all week with LA and will conduct his first media session Tuesday afternoon, is eligible to play once the summer transfer window opens Wednesday and is expected to debut in the International Champions Cup friendly against Mexico's Club America on July 11. His first MLS game is set for July 17 at home against San Jose (11 pm ET, UniMás).
It's been in the works for about seven months, since a positive response to the Galaxy's overtures sparked a quick courtship and a contract deal last January.
“A player like that's always on your [want] list,” club president Chris Klein, a former Galaxy midfielder, said this week. “Usually, it's on the list you keep somewhere else, because you never think it's going to happen. After a few conversations with his agent, I think it became a reality that it was possible.
“So many things you have to jump through and get through, and getting approval to do it, but very early on, I thought it was a possibility that could happen, and once you have the opportunity to get a player like him, you put everything you have and every focus you have into it.”
Talks became serious around last December's MLS Cup final, in which LA beat New England. There was, Klein said, no Plan B.
“He was the number one target, and if it didn't work out, of course, we would have moved on to something else,” he said. “But once he engaged in the process, he became Plan A, B and C.”
Klein said the Galaxy didn't have to do much to convince Gerrard, who has spent his entire career in his hometown, that they would be a good fit.
“We've got a very good reputation, and it wasn't really selling him on the club or him selling himself to us,” Klein said. “This was really, 'Hey, guys, we both want to do this, and let's see if we can make it work.' We didn't have to walk through a presentation on why the Galaxy is the right fit for him. I think he knew early on that if he was going to leave Liverpool, that the Galaxy would be the right fit.”
LA picked up an assist from former Galaxy star David Beckham. His participation, Klein said, was most helpful.
“Having him being available to pick up a call and speak about L.A., speak about the Galaxy, speak about Bruce Arena, speak about MLS – you can't even quantify what that means ...,” he said. “It's key to us, and he's always open and available. Always gracious. And honest with the guys. Doesn't tell the rosy picture, but tells it what it's really like, and every [big-name] player we've brought in, from Robbie to Steven, have talked about how important that's been.”
Klein said he sensed Gerrard believed it was “time for a new challenge for him.”
“What we needed to hear is that he was looking at this as the next step and a challenge and not the last step,” he said. “And he was clear on that from the beginning, and he's kept consistent with that. That was very important to us, and he let us know that very early on.”
