Named after Messi? Liverpool captain of the future? Gerrard announces birth of son Lio
Has Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard taken inspiration from Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi in the naming of his son?
The former England captain has announced the arrival of Lio George Gerrard on social media.
Gerrard to take Liverpool U18 post
Gerrard is already the proud father of three daughters: Lilly-Ella, Lexie and Lourdes.
Keen to stick with the ‘L’ theme, the 36-year-old and his wife Alex appear to have looked to the world of football for a suitable moniker.
Lio George Gerrard was born this morning at 4.55am . Both are doing great . Our family is complete
A post shared by Steven Gerrard (@stevengerrard) on Apr 28, 2017 at 11:08pm PDT
Lio will have a lot to live up to if he is to follow in his father’s footsteps and carve out a career as a professional footballer.
Gerrard is an iconic figure of the modern era, having made 710 appearances for Liverpool and 114 for his country.
His efforts down the years helped to secure two FA Cup triumphs, three League Cup wins and a memorable Champions League success.
Why Gerrard can be a top manager
He has since moved into the world of coaching, after hanging up his boots following a spell in Major League Soccer with LA Galaxy.
Gerrard has been working within the academy set-up at Liverpool and is set to take up a role as the club’s U18 manager in the 2017-18 campaign.
Emulating his father would take some doing for little Lio, as would matching the achievements of his namesake at Camp Nou, with five-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi having reached the 500-goal mark at Barcelona.