Stevie eyes medals, not milestones

Steven Gerrard insists he will judge his career on medals acquired rather than milestones reached.

The skipper is set to become the 13th player in history to represent Liverpool 500 times when the Reds travel to Ewood Park on Saturday.

Gerrard is immensely proud to be joining the likes of Kenny Dalglish, Ian Callaghan and teammate Jamie Carragher on the list - but claims trophies make legends, not landmarks.

"It's a really proud thing to reach milestones from a personal point of view - it's a great feeling. But I'd like to think when I hang my boots up I'll look back on prizes not personal milestones," he explained.

"As a player I never, ever think I'm in the top this or that. I do have a confidence now that I'm a good player, and that I can compete at a high level, but that's it.

"It's great to have these accolades, honestly, but it doesn't mean much without prizes.

"Football excites me and the big prizes excite me even more for club and country. You want to win them all. I want to win what I can for Liverpool, and for England, and I'd love to look back at the end of it and feel as if I've achieved everything I can in that respect."

Gerrard admits he never considered such a landmark when he started out against Blackburn 11 years ago - against the likes of Chris Sutton and Tim Sherwood.

"When you are such a young age you don't look too far ahead - it has always been drummed into me by my dad and my coaches not to look too far ahead," he explained.

"Honestly, at that stage when I started out, a career wasn't even in my mind, because maybe you don't think you're good enough, or you dare not look ahead.

"But you just want one game, then a few games, and you can't start thinking you've made it. Not ever.

"I never dreamed I'd get so many games, and it is a great feeling to hit that landmark."