Steven Gerrard makes Jose Mourinho admission after backing out of Chelsea transfer

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Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has revealed just how hard it was not to be charmed by Jose Mourinho after he tried to sign him during his first spell at Chelsea . The 45-year-old admitted he was 'guilty' of flirting with joining the Blues as he opened up on why the transfer never came off.

The former midfielder is rightly considered one of Liverpool 's all-time greats. He rose through the academy ranks in the late 90s before earning a well-deserved promotion to the first team.

Quickly becoming an integral part of the squad, he was eventually appointed captain by the late Gerard Houllier, taking over from Sami Hyypia.

During his time at Anfield, Gerrard clinched the Champions League title in Istanbul in 2005 and led the team to another final in the competition two years later in 2007. He also secured several domestic trophies, including two FA Cups and three League Cups.

However, the Premier League title always remained out of Gerrard's grasp, despite a few close calls over the years. Liverpool were arguably not the powerhouse they are today, having since claimed two league titles in the past five years under Jurgen Klopp in 2020 and current boss Arne Slot in 2024, reports the Liverpool Echo .

Given this, it's hardly surprising that Gerrard was linked with several top European clubs during his playing career, most notably Chelsea. Mourinho , who managed the London club between 2004 and 2007 and won two league titles before returning a decade later to secure a third, made no secret of his desire to sign Liverpool's skipper.

Despite the allure of Stamford Bridge, Gerrard remained loyal to Liverpool for most of his playing career. He finally left at 34 in 2015 to join MLS team LA Galaxy, before hanging up his boots in 2016.

In a recent chat with TNT Sports pundit Ally McCoist , the ex-Reds captain reflected on his career, from his playing days to his coaching journey. A key topic was Chelsea's interest and what tempted him to consider a move.

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"A phone number on my phone that I didn't recognise [was how I learned of Chelsea's interest]," Gerrard revealed. "I called it back and it was Jose Mourinho.

"I was coming into a really good time and I felt confident. I was consistent and I felt like I could go up against anyone. There were a couple of teams showing some interest through my agent, but that one came and it was [tempting].

"This was in 2004 and I was very happy where I was. But after the Champions League final [in 2005], when we won it, I had three years left on my contract.

"The club was starting to speak to people who had three years left on their contracts, but I was getting a bit of a different feel from the club and a different feel from Rafa [Benitez]. Rightly or wrongly, my relationship with Rafa was strong from a football perspective, but very cold in terms of man management compared to [Gerard] Houllier.

"I was having conversations with Rafa where he was saying, 'I know your agent's speaking to Real Madrid , Bayern Munich and Chelsea', which wasn't the case, by the way. He was saying to me, 'are you sure you want to be here?' and I was getting doubts.

"But to cut a long story short, I ended up signing the new deal with Liverpool and was extremely happy. Everything was fine with Rafa from there onwards, but of course I was guilty of doing a bit of flirting."

One of the key elements that led Gerrard to consider a move to Chelsea was Mourinho's persuasive power. The Portuguese manager's pursuit of Gerrard is well-known, especially his three separate attempts to secure his signature whilst at Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid.

"Mourinho comes on the phone, arguably the best manager in the world at the time, and when he speaks to you, his convincing skills and people skills were high level," Gerrard explained. "It was tempting, of course it was.

"Financially they're offering you double your money, but for me it was all about how I was going to stay one of the best midfielders in the Premier League and how I was going to keep my England place. That's what was going through my mind – and who wants me.

"Does Rafa really want me? Does he want to build it [the team] around me? Because if he doesn't, I'm being told by arguably one of the best managers in world football that I'm going to be the main man. Now, whether he meant that or not is a different conversation, but he [Mourinho] was certainly convincing and made me feel that way."