Steven Gerrard attempted to persuade two players to join Liverpool, but both turned him down via text message.

Steven Gerrard made efforts to persuade two high-profile players to join Liverpool, but both rejected him via text.

Although Liverpool is one of the world’s most prestigious football clubs, securing top transfer targets isn’t guaranteed. Recent examples include Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, who reportedly turned down moves to Anfield in favor of Chelsea.

Gerrard, Liverpool’s former captain, revealed in his 2015 autobiography My Story that he had an unofficial role in recruiting players for the club. In 2013, he attempted to convince Brazilian midfielder Willian to join Liverpool. Explaining his approach, Gerrard wrote:

> “I would always send a text instead of calling directly. It felt more respectful and allowed the player to read the message at their convenience. Cold calls seemed inappropriate.”

Gerrard reached out to Willian, praising him as a player and offering to answer any questions about Liverpool. However, Willian responded, saying:

> “I’m not sure Liverpool can give me the Champions League.”

Gerrard also tried to recruit Toni Kroos around the same time. Knowing Real Madrid were preparing to bid for the Bayern Munich midfielder, Gerrard admitted feeling awkward about contacting him. However, he still sent a text, acknowledging Kroos’s World Cup-winning form and Real Madrid’s status as European champions.

Despite Gerrard’s efforts, Kroos declined and later became a key figure in Real Madrid’

s modern success.