Bristol Rovers’ new signing was once likened to Steven Gerrard by two Liverpool legends

Bristol Rovers’ newest signing Jordan Rossiter was once likened to football legend and current Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard.

The 25-year-old has joined the Gas on a two-year deal for an undisclosed fee from Fleetwood Town, reuniting with manager Joey Barton after spells at both Fleetwood and Rangers.

During the early stages of his career, the tenacious midfielder showed promise and earned rave reviews during his time on Merseyside.

Back in 2014, Rossiter burst onto the scene as a 17-year-old for Liverpool, making his debut against Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup. Rossiter marked his first appearance in senior football with a goal.

He was highly rated at the time and many legends of the Anfield club were impressed with what they saw from him and predicted big things from him as a teenager.

Almost a year before his senior debut, he was playing in a tournament designed for young players and it was there that he first attracted attention.

Club icon Robbie Fowler was watching the tournament at the time and picked Rossiter out as one of the star performers after he caught the eye.

The FA Cup and UEFA Cup winner likened him to his former Liverpool and England teammate Steven Gerrard, who went on to captain the Three Lions and also won numerous trophies in a career spent with just two clubs.

A tweet posted in January 2013 from Fowler read: "A young lad is just about to come on for a few mins for Liverpool in [the] Nextgen - Jordan Rossiter. Big shout, but potentially a young Stevie G. He’s a very good player"

To a lesser extent, Jamie Carragher didn’t directly make a comparison of Rossiter being the next Gerrard but instead saw traits of himself and his teammate in him.

Carragher himself won the Champions League back in 2005 and came through the academy at Liverpool, so when Rossiter burst onto the scene, he was quick to put praise onto him.

In a column on the club’s official website, Carragher said: “’I like the look of him. He’s got a bit of character and steel that me and Stevie have had. He’s a great talent.”

Rossiter ended up making just five appearances for Liverpool and his time on Merseyside was plagued by injury, missing out on opportunities to impress current boss Jurgen Klopp.

He was allowed to leave for Rangers on a free transfer where he would become a teammate of his new manager Barton, directly becoming his repacement when Barton returned to Burnley.

And despite not matching the achievements or stature of Gerrard’s career so far, there was no expectation from the player himself to emulate what the Aston Villa manager did.

“For legends of the club to say positive things about me was great to hear,” said the midfielder in an interview with The Athletic back in June 2020.

“It showed that they rated me highly but I never felt under any extra pressure or anything like. I never got carried away by it either. I was just thinking, ‘Next Steven Gerrard? If I have 10 percent of the career Steven Gerrard has had then I will have had a great career.”