The AFC Wimbledon striker Adebayo Akinfenwa has revealed that he pleaded with Steven Gerrard not to leave Liverpool after their FA Cup third-round game on Monday night.
Akinfenwa, the 16-stone forward who equalised for the League Two side before a 2-1 defeat for Wimbledon, is a Liverpool supporter and believes Gerrard’s departure to the US in the summer will be of major detriment to the club.
The striker obtained Gerrard’s shirt at the full-time whistle, following a match in which the Liverpool captain scored twice to rescue his team from a potential upset. The Wimbledon forward said Gerrard’s absence would be a “massive problem” for Brendan Rodgers and described the midfielder as class.
“To lose him, boy, I don’t know, I can’t tell the future but it will be a problem,” said Akinfenwa. “I just spoke to him quickly. I was like: “Look, don’t go – please don’t go.’ I said: ‘Don’t go, don’t go, man – look, I will tell you this now, I am a fan – don’t go.’
“He was miles better than anybody on the pitch and that’s AFC Wimbledon and Liverpool. If he wasn’t playing, if he didn’t play, it would have been a different story. I am not trying to blow no smoke up anywhere – I am saying he is the difference. Liverpool will lose that.
“Look, nobody can begrudge Steven Gerrard doing what he wants to do. He has just been a legend. If he needs to go to pastures new, so be it. I think it is down to Liverpool to try and do everything to keep him and get him to stay but if he has made his mind up, he has made his mind up. All you can do is wish him on his merry way and hope he comes back as manager one day.”
The Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel also admitted Gerrard’s move from Anfield would be a big loss.
“He has to make the choice that is best for him,” said Skrtel. “It will be difficult because he is our leader on the pitch and also a great player and a good guy as well. We’ll miss him on the pitch and off it. It will be difficult to replace him.”
