The tale, of course, has now been written into sporting folklore.
Liverpool were trailing 3-0 to AC Milan, a fellow member of Europe's footballing royalty, in the 2005 Champions League final with seemingly all hope lost.
It is precisely the sort of challenge Gerrard in the prime of his career met head on and tackled with relish.
Many captains have been labelled inspirational but few ever back up the title with meaningful, history-making deeds.
Gerrard, however, is different. He had an in-built mechanism which not only propelled him to greater things but dragged others along with him.