Avram Grant admits that Steven Gerrard is the player he
admires most in the Premier League - and says he "would love to
sign" the midfielder.
The Chelsea boss believes that the Liverpool skipper
should walk away with the PFA and European Player of the Year
awards this season, and has revealed that he would love to take the
England international to Stamford Bridge.
Gerrard came close to joining the Blues on two occasions when
Grant's predecessor Jose Mourinho was in charge of the West London
club, but eventually decided to stay with his hometown club.
Grant feels that the Reds midfielder has become an even better
player since then after being given the licence to roam behind
Spanish striker Fernando Torres and insists that it is Gerrard, not
Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo, who can now rightfully claim
to be the best player in Europe.
"Gerrard is a great player and a great person," the Blues
manager told the News of the World.
"For me he is the player of the year in England and maybe in
Europe because of the influence he has on the team.
"He's very good, I like him very much as a player. And I know
him, he is a nice guy, a positive guy and he is an example for many
people.
"Unfortunately he plays against me, not with me, but he is still
my favourite player.
"I'm not surprised he is playing up front with Fernando Torres
now because I think he can play in many positions.
"In that position he probably feels more free. Tactically, it's
not easy to play against this position."
With a rumoured £100million transfer budget set to be made
available by club owner Roman Abramovich this summer, Grant admits
that, if he became available, Gerrard would be his number one
target.
"If you can bring him to me I will be happy," he said.
The under-fire coach will come face-to-face with Gerrard on
Tuesday when Chelsea travel to Anfield for the first leg of their
UEFA Champions League semi-final.
It is the third time in four years that the two sides have met
at this stage of the competition, and Grant is confident that he
can go one better that Mourinho and take the Blues to their first
final.
"The last games were too tactical," he said.
"I think that football needs to be tactical but not too
tactical.
"You need freedom to play. Football goes two steps when people
start to talk of details but now we need the next step, to give
players the freedom to think because they have the responsibility
they didn't have 10 years ago.
"So I am trying with my team to give them the freedom to think
with responsibility."
