Vegard: Young Stevie was never kept quiet
Vegard Heggem knew there was something special about Steven Gerrard long before he ran across the Anfield turf towards the skinny Scouser shoving shirt nervously into shorts on the touchline.
November 29, 1998 was the day Kopites caught a first glimpse of Gerrard as he took to the field as a 90th-minute substitute to replace Heggem at the end of a routine 2-0 win over Blackburn Rovers.
As he jogged towards the Main Stand touchline, his job done for the day, Heggem had no doubt in his mind that the player replacing him would go on to be a success at Liverpool.
Having witnessed Gerrard's character when they first crossed paths at Melwood - and the way the Huyton lad had no inhibitions about being vocal and robust around older players - Heggem was convinced of his potential.
Reflecting on the moment he made way for the 18-year-old against Blackburn, Heggem told Liverpoolfc.com: "I knew that Gerard Houllier had a lot of faith in Steven, so I wasn't surprised when he brought him on.
"Steven didn't get a lot of playing time in that game, but not long after that he played from the start against Tottenham Hotspur away. The management obviously saw his potential and for him to be given that kind of trust was obviously motivating for Steven.
"He just grew and grew from there to become one of the club's biggest legends of all time. It's always good for a team to have local players. The supporters love that.
"I thought when Steven first came to Melwood that he looked a bit skinny and you weren't sure by looking at him whether he was ready to get stuck in with the first team. But straight away he showed us that he definitely was.
"He was really, really tough, considering his skinny build. He threw himself into tackles and he didn't hold back at all. He took to the level quickly, both on the training ground and then as soon as he got his chance in the first-team games.
"What I was used to at my former club, Rosenborg, was that the younger players who joined in a few training sessions were a little bit shy and they held back a little bit. They wouldn't really get in and tackle the established players.
"They wouldn't talk very much during training sessions, so I was a bit surprised that this young man was getting stuck in the way he did. He was shouting as well. He was never silent in the training sessions. He had all the abilities to become a first-team player.
"He just wanted to do the same as everyone else in training - get stuck in and contribute. For me, it was a bit unusual to see. Any shyness he had was quickly put to one side as soon as he stepped onto the training pitch."
Yesterday, some 17 years on since he first wowed the experienced professionals who watched him tear around the Melwood pitches afraid of no-one, Gerrard announced that he will play his final game for the Reds at the end of the 2014-15 season.
It will be the end of one of Liverpool's greatest stories - that of a leader who refused to give in when the chips were down on so many occasions, and of a local lad who rose to the very top of world football with sheer sensational ability.
"Steven has a great combination of his skills," explained Heggem. "He's an all-round player. He has great physical ability. It's maybe not as easy to see now, but his pace was extraordinary. I remember when we had sprint tests during my time there and he always finished very highly on those tests.
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"His physical abilities have always been good and technically, his passing, shooting and his ability to be a box-to-box player. He's a really good, all-round football talent. In addition to that, Steven had this leadership and the fact that he was a local player.
"He had everything there to become a complete player to delight the crowd and be a great ambassador for the club. He's also been a terrific captain of the national side. He's one of the biggest players of all time."
Heggem racked up 65 appearances during a five-year Anfield career and during that time, the full-back watched from close quarters as Gerrard developed into a key first-team player for the club.
Three months after the Norwegian announced his retirement in the summer of 2003, Gerrard was handed the Liverpool captaincy by Reds boss Gerard Houllier.
"He's always had leadership qualities in him," said Heggem. "He was a really true team player. He was a player who other teammates would follow. I think that skill in him has just grown even bigger from the time that I left. Both physically and as a technical footballer.
"When I left he was at a very, very high level. So from there onwards, his leadership skills and his maturity as a person grew and helped the club massively."
While Heggem relished reflecting on the career of a player who has brought so much joy to so many, he was also keen to stress the importance of what Gerrard still has to offer the Reds in the five months between now and the day he plays his last Liverpool match.
"Steven hasn't left the club yet - he's going to leave in the summer," said the former full-back. "Now is a time to talk about his contribution to the club in the past, but he's also going to give an important contribution for the remainder of the season and I'm sure that is Stevie's biggest personal focus.
"Liverpool have had a bit of a bumpy season so far and I'm sure Stevie is focused now on using his remaining months at the club to help the team drive up the table and put in better performances. So we shouldn't forget that he's going to be here for a few more months.
"Also, no player is bigger than the club, not even Stevie. So the No.1 focus should be on his remaining time at the club. When he leaves, we should all wish one of the club's biggest legends all the best for his future career and wherever he chooses to go."