Liverpool cult hero Dirk Kurt has recounted his memory of Steven Gerrard telling him he was “absolute s***” - straight after scoring a wonder goal.
The former Reds captain might be in charge of Aston Villa now in the Premier League but his legacy at Anfield will always mean the most to him.
Often denoted as the club’s best-ever player, Gerrard spent 26 years at the club after joining as a nine-year-old.
He would go on to make 710 appearances for Liverpool, winning the Champions League in incredible fashion in 2005 after coming back from 3-0 down against AC Milan.
As a captain, many players looked up to Gerrard as an inspirational leader and Kuyt was no different.
In a chat with talkSPORT, the Dutchman detailed one moment which encapsulated the Liverpool legend better than anything.
He said: “He was such a great personality and a real captain. He was not a guy of many words but when he said something, it definitely meant something.
“I remember one game, an away game, against West Ham. It was probably one of the worst halves I have played in a Liverpool shirt and about 10 seconds into the second-half I scored a cracker from outside the box, it hit the crossbar and went in.
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"Gerrard came to me and said ‘you were absolute s*** in that first-half’.
“And that’s Stevie G, he is a great guy. He was really helpful for me when I arrived. He helped me a lot with everything.
“Also, what meant a lot to me was when I played by testimonial in Rotterdam, Holland, it was the day before the Champions League final and he was there to watch the game.
“He took a plane the first thing in the morning to play the game and that says everything about Steven Gerrard.”
Kurt made 286 appearances for Liverpool over six years, becoming a cult hero in front of the Kop for his dogged mentality.
He won the League Cup along with Gerrard in 2012, and missed out on the Champions League in 2007 when AC Milan got their revenge for Istanbul.
Since hanging up his boots, the former Dutch striker has turned to charity with his wife after setting up the Dirk Kurt Foundation which helps disadvantaged children in the developing world.
Gerrard turned to coaching and has started brightly as Aston Villa boss after leading Rangers to their first Scottish Premiership title in 10 years - doing so unbeaten.
He has already had an impact in the January transfer window after pulling off a major coup to land ex-Liverpool team-mate Philippe Coutinho on loan from Barcelona.
There are also rumours that Luis Suarez could be on the way with his contract at Atletico Madrid set to expire this summer.
