COMMENT: This can't be Steven Gerrard's legacy at Liverpool. A slip then a stamp? Suddenly, the decision to get out of England and move to LA is looking more and more like the best he could make. Since that stumble against Chelsea, it's been going steadily downhill for the Kop legend.
Leading England to a disastrous World Cup in Brazil, all the controversy over Liverpool's rotations and missing that dream game at Real Madrid - and now yesterday and his stamp on Ander Herrera.
We all thought it couldn't get worse for Gerrard after the Chelsea gaff last season. But that could be excused as bad luck. Yesterday it was self-inflicted, self-destructive and for Reds fans will sit alongside Zinedine Zidane's infamous World Cup final headbutt.
He's cost Liverpool the game against their greatest and most bitter rivals. He's also likely blown their chances of returning to the Champions League. And all with just eight games left ( make that five given his likely suspension) of his Liverpool career.
It's a disaster. Plain and simple. For the man and the club.
But you'd hope that the way he reacted to his actions will also be remembered. There was no hiding away. He wasn't going to let teammates speak for him, nor the manager or agents. Gerrard fronted the Sky Sports cameras, in his Liverpool civvies and accepted full responsibility.
Cynics would claim that's the least he could do. But we've seen plenty of examples in the past where the high profile have ducked the tough questions after a game. Luis Suarez, anyone?
You can imagine some inside the inner sanctum urging Gerrard to give the media a swerve yesterday. But that's not the man. For Gerrard, there's no hangers on. He owed supporters around the world an apology - and gave it unreservedly. There's another scouser, another Premier League captain, who, instead of quoting philosophers, could learn from his example.
For many Reds, rewind a couple of seconds to that tackle on Juan Mata and it would be enough for a lasting Gerrard memory. The challenge was a screamer. It offered a lot about the connection between Gerrard and the Kop. In he dived, winning ball and man, up went the crowd and after 45 minutes of Anfield being on the back foot, suddenly the place was rocking.
And that's really the challenge facing Brendan Rodgers.
Yes, he can cover Gerrard's goals. He can find players capable of matching his creativity - perhaps even his on-field leadership. But how do you capture the essence of Gerrard and his relationship with the Kop?
Will we ever again see a mad, 6ft-plus, all-action athlete, haring around Anfield, diving into tackles, rattling cages and inspiring all - whether on the pitch or in the stands?
The Emre Cans of today's game have their value, as do the Philippe Coutinhos and Adam Lallanas. But the true midfield gladiators, when they come together and the only scream you hear is from the ball, is what gets the adrenaline pumping for fans.
It's what Steven Gerrard epitomises and why the Premier League will be lesser for his departure.
