David Beckham has got Steven Gerrard’s back in LA but it will be no USA holiday

Steven Gerrard admits David Beckham has been very positive about his move Stateside.

Steven Gerrard still has another seven days as an active Liverpool player before he starts packing for the next two years in the United States.

But, having said his main farewells at an emotional Anfield yesterday, his attention is now turning to what happens next.

California is calling, and all the cliches are there sun, surf, the movies, the shops on Rodeo Drive, the giant Hollywood sign.

The boy from Whiston is leaving home for the first time at the age of 35, and he is excited about the switch to Los Angeles.

That might seem a strange emotion for someone who’s achieved almost everything there is to achieve in the world’s most popular sport, who has led his country and become an icon in his city.

But there is no disguising the almost child-like enthusiasm Gerrard has for the next chapter of his life.

This, however, is no extended family trip to Disneyland. He is serious about the football he will play for LA Galaxy. His in-built competitive drive dictates that.

He does confess freely, however, that the lifestyle he, his wife Alex and their three daughters will have in LA is a big part of the attraction.

David Beckham has told him it will be great and that’s good enough for Gerrard.

“I’ve spoken to David a few times,” he says. “His first couple of sentences to me were: ‘Go for it. You will absolutely love it’.

“I know he has got my back and would give me the right advice. He’s been there and experienced it.

“He said: ‘I know you, I have played with you for England and I think it’s absolutely perfect for you and your family.’

“I talked to him about how I felt, where I was at as a Liverpool player, the chat I’d had with Brendan (Rodgers) about the future.

“We spoke about the level of the League, what it’s like for the family, the lifestyle. I asked him an awful lot of questions. I also did the same with Robbie Keane.

“Add the fact that LA Galaxy were very aggressive in trying to get me, and that there was no messing about, and it meant that all the boxes were ticked.

“I had a couple of options in England, a couple in Europe and others in the US.

“I didn’t want to stay in England because I couldn’t see myself competing against Liverpool.

“I felt that to go to Europe and try to learn another language at this stage would be hard.

“So America was perfect for me. I still want to play football for another couple of years. I want to compete and start games.

“I’m coming up to 35. I’ve not been anywhere before. I’ve been at Liverpool all my life. I’ve been in the first team for 17 years.

“It’s the right time to step out and have a look around. But I’m a proud Scouser and Liverpool will always be my home.

“I will always be a fan. I’ll be getting up at 5am in California to watch the Liverpool games on TV. Mind you, I’ve been doing that to watch Galaxy matches.”

In a city split by football allegiances, being the figurehead of one half of the divide has taken its toll on Gerrard.

“It’s intense, especially for someone like myself,” he says. “I can’t wait for that to end.

“I am looking forward to being able to breathe and play football under a bit less pressure.

“It will be like going back to the days before I was in the first team, where you really enjoyed your football and there wasn’t that responsibility.

“I still want to win and I’ll give everything I’ve got for LA Galaxy. But it will be different from playing for Liverpool.

“This is a very passionate city. You can’t open the front door without bumping into a red or a blue.

“It has been very difficult for me to do certain things with the children, like swimming, or dancing lessons, or just to go for meals or to a coffee shop.

“It will be nice to be able to walk down the street without being asked questions.

“Here, if the team is doing well, the fans want to know the reasons why. They want insights.

“When it’s not going well, they want to know what’s going on and why you’re not playing well.

“Then you have the constant aggressive behaviour towards you from the blue half at traffic lights, on motorways and everywhere else.

“It can be hard handling yourself off the pitch, so I am looking forward to less intensity.

“But it’s not in my nature to wind down. I want to give it my all for LA Galaxy and I think people will be pleasantly surprised with how much effort and application I give.

“If I felt I wasn’t hungry enough, I would have called it a day now.”

When Gerrard gets round to packing his bags, he will make room for the journals he’s kept over the years, noting down various insights he’s taken from the managers he’s worked with.

“I must be a bit bonkers to consider being a manager, and I don’t want to make any decisions at this stage,” he says.

“I am going to try and get my coaching qualifications, and see what opportunities are there when I come back.

“What I have tried to do with managers I have worked with is to write notes on them all.

“I keep an eye on the training sessions, the players have liked, on the bits of advice and log it all.

“There won’t be a suitcase full of them, but there are a few books now and there’s some important stuff in there that might help me in the future.”