The tipping point arrived at some stage over the past few months as Steven Gerrard weighed his future at Liverpool.
Gerrard faced the uncomfortable truth about his future on Merseyside. He remained an important component of the team now, but he wrestled with the knowledge that his status might soon change. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers dropped the 34-year-old midfielder from time to time and rested him occasionally. His once-assured place on the teamsheet grew more and more tenuous. The lack of movement on fresh terms and the wage decrease eventually offered drove the point home even further.
Instead of grappling with the inevitable controversy to follow, Gerrard contemplated another option entirely. He pondered a future elsewhere in a place where he could play out the remainder of his career without suffering through the awkward and painful transition from integral figure to squad player. He wondered if he could find a place where he could feature every week and remain a vital part of a grander plan.
LA Galaxy fit the bill perfectly. Gerrard saw how former Liverpool teammate Robbie Keane thrived in MLS and understood the sort of impact David Beckham exerted in the autumn of his career. Most of all, Gerrard found himself persuaded by a club eager to secure his services and supply him with the opportunity to finish his career with a flourish.
"Their pursuit of me was very aggressive," Gerrard said in a video posted on the Galaxy's website after he signed an 18-month contract on Wednesday. "The talks I've had with them have been very positive. They've basically told me what I wanted to hear. They've told me about the winning mentality of the club and told me what their aims and goals are for the future. It basically suits me at this stage of my career. I'll be going over there to hopefully win some more medals and finish my career over there."
Gerrard still boasts all of the tools necessary to accomplish those objectives in MLS over the next few years. He retains the intelligence to locate the right spaces and time his runs into the penalty area, the range to cover ground when necessary and the vision to pick the right passes. The flaws exposed in the Premier League over the past year or so -- a dearth of tactical awareness and discipline when deployed as a holding player and a lack of pace to track effectively -- will not necessarily hinder his ability to thrive with the Galaxy.
Galaxy manager Bruce Arena will accommodate for Gerrard's strengths and reconfigure his team to make the best use of them. Gerrard will add a direct, driving element into central midfield to complement the established duo of Juninho and Marcelo Sarvas. Their work -- whether one is chosen alongside Gerrard or both are included in a three-man midfield -- will free Gerrard to rove as warranted and supply Keane and Gyasi Zardes ably.
Those qualities allow the Galaxy to compensate for Landon Donovan's retirement and place Gerrard in a position to thrive once more. It is incumbent on Arena and the Galaxy to function well enough during the first half of the season to set the proper stage for Gerrard to settle in July. Their success over the past few seasons suggests this group boasts the ability to adjust to Donovan's absence and Gerrard's delayed arrival without hindering the overarching goals for the campaign.
At this stage of his career, Gerrard needs to compete straightaway. His move to southern California provides him with the perfect blend of a guaranteed place in the side and a team capable of challenging for further honors.
"For this stage of my career, I think the timing is right to move on," Gerrard said. "But I still feel like a player and still know I can still perform well for the next couple of years. I want to go into a setup with a winning mentality to a team that's used to winning and also a team that has got people who want to win in the future. I know the players have got a winning mentality. They've proved it over a number of years. Having spoken to the manager, Bruce Arena, and also the people above him, they are very aggressive. They want success. That's what I want. That's how I want to finish my career. They are the reasons why I chose LA Galaxy."
Gerrard steps away from Liverpool in the summer with his place in club lore firmly intact. His decision to leave will not diminish his contributions or reduce his connection to a side he served admirably since his teenage years. It instead provides him with the freedom to complete his career on his terms and march toward the end with his focus firmly fixed on the Galaxy and the fresh challenges ahead.
