Gerrard: That slip led to ‘worst three months of life’

Gerrard, 34, has been at Anfield from the age of seven but has never been part of a league champion senior team.

He was on the brink last term but, on April 27, an infamous stumble allowed Demba Ba to open the scoring in what would prove to be a 2-0 win for Chelsea.

Liverpool were Premier League leaders at that point, but their bid for glory subsequently collapsed, the Reds finishing second behind Manchester City.

The veteran midfielder was roundly mocked for his fall, largely because it came just after he was seen rallying his team-mates with the cry "we don't let this slip", following a win over Norwich.

Gerrard, skipper for both club and country, went on to have a dreadful summer for England, deemed responsible for the defeat to Uruguay and generally having played well below his best.

And he has now opened up about that terrible period.

“I’ve probably been through the worst three months of my life,” Gerrard told reporters during Liverpool’s pre-season tour of the United States.

“There’s nothing else to say is there? But if you ask how it’s affected me – it hasn’t. I have football to play in the future so you have to look forward, not back.

“Every time I speak to the media it’s going to be mentioned and that’s the only time I think about it, really. I appreciate how big it is when you go out of a World Cup, when you fall short, after going so close in the Premier League title race.

“We have to try to win the league, progress in the Champions League, there are massive games to look forward to. When you’re captain of the team and the group, you can’t afford to be down and feel sorry for yourself or mope around.

"Everyone in this group of players looks to me to see what sort of mood I’m in, to see how I’m behaving round the place, so I have to shake it off pretty quick.”

While Gerrard is happy to take responsibility for his team-mates, he does not feel that moment against Chelsea was a mistake, saying “every single person on the planet slips at some point on their life”.

“That’s why it was cruel. I haven’t made a mistake, I haven’t lost my man at a set-piece. I haven’t missed a penalty. I haven’t made a bad pass.

“Every single person on the planet slips at some point in their life, whether it’s on the stairs, on the floor or whatever. For me, it happened on the pitch at a really bad moment.

“But over the course of 38 games, a lot happens for you and against you and that determines if you win the league or not.

"But that moment happened at a really crucial time and I have to face that. And I will.”

Gerrard retired from England duty after the World Cup and some feel his last few months could signal the start of his decline as a player.

He explained the decision came about after Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers offered to cut down the number of club games he would play, and is adamant that the experience will not derail his Indian Summer, and that he – and Liverpool – will bounce back.

"When you’re fighting for things at this level there are always going to be downs and heartbreaks and disappointments, and the last three months have been a massive disappointment.

“I have to use that as a positive to drive me on. At 34, there is no possible way I am going to let the last three months be the things I remember. It’s important it finishes on a high.

“Unfortunately, I have had that tough time at club level at the end of the season and then I’ve gone into a World Cup hoping that it was going to go really well to help me get over it.

"But it backfired. I’ve had two massive lows in a short space of time, so it’s a good test for me this season. Can I hit form after that? I believe I can.”