Steven Gerrard’s Attempt to Lure England Teammate to Liverpool Fails Despite Persuasive Offer

Despite an earnest effort by Steven Gerrard to persuade an England teammate to join Liverpool, the anticipated move never materialized.

Bobby Zamora’s England debut in 2010 against Hungary marked a pivotal moment in his career. He made an appearance as a substitute during the 2-1 victory at Wembley, with aspirations to represent the Trinidad and Tobago national team cut short by an injury sustained during training.

Zamora’s potential inclusion in the World Cup squad for South Africa was halted due to an Achilles injury, casting a shadow over his international prospects. Post his debut, Gerrard, then serving as England’s vice-captain, made an attempt to convince Zamora to consider a move to Liverpool following the match.

At the time, Roy Hodgson had taken charge at Anfield after leading Fulham to the Europa League final, a period where Zamora had impressively netted 19 times across various competitions. Mark Hughes succeeded Hodgson at Fulham and emphasized Zamora’s pivotal role in his plans for the team.

Both Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur expressed interest in signing Zamora, who now regrets not pursuing a move to Anfield. Reflecting on his decision during an interview on the Under The Cosh podcast, Zamora revealed, “I should have probably gone to Liverpool from Fulham. Roy [Hodgson] went to Liverpool. They bid and Spurs bid at the same time, £10 million the pair of them.”

Recalling a conversation with Gerrard after his England debut, Zamora recounted, “When I played for England, my first game against Hungary, I get in the lift with my best pal and Stevie G, and Stevie G goes, ‘Mate, f***ing brilliant today, well done. Would you come to Liverpool?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah’… so he said, ‘I’ll speak to Roy’.”

Despite the allure of Liverpool, Zamora opted to stay at Fulham after being assured by Hughes of his crucial role in the team’s plans. Zamora admitted, “But yeah, I probably should have gone to Liverpool. Regardless of the fact Roy didn’t do great there. I should have got five years at Liverpool. You can’t hit a few branches coming down from there.”