Jermaine Pennant has revealed he was once approached by Steven Gerrard about a Liverpool transfer – in the middle of a Premier League game.
The The Pitch Prospect pundit and former Reds winger played for the Merseyside club between 2006 and 2009 after signing from Birmingham City.
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Pennant had spent a season with the struggling Blues, who were mired in an unsuccessful battle for Premier League survival in the 2005/06 season.
But Birmingham faced Liverpool – Gerrard’s hometown until 2015 – three times this season.
They faced each other twice in the Premier League and once in the sixth round of the FA Cup.
The Reds overwhelmed them in the last game, scoring seven goals in an unforgettable game.
But both top-flight games ended in draws and Liverpool – then under the management of Rafael Benitez – were unable to prevail against Steve Bruce’s side.
And on one of these occasions a young pennant caught the attention of a very special Liverpool player.
In fact, it was a moment that led to a hilarious encounter between the two future teammates midway through the game.
“(Steven Gerrard) knew I was a good player,” Pennant told The Pitch Prospect. “Because he caught me halfway in one game.
“I was playing against Liverpool and he came running up to me during the game and asked: ‘Who’s your agent?’
“I said it was Sky Andrew and that was the last thing he said and I was confused. So I ran up to him and asked, ‘Do you know him?’
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“The game is currently on,” Pennant said, bringing laughter from the studio as he explained how it all happened during a crucial game for relegation-threatened Birmingham City.
“The ball is out of play. He simply asked me, ‘Who is your agent?’ And I was with Sky Andrew at the time and he said, “Okay, boy” – and then ran away.
“My brain is exhausted. I ask myself: ‘Why is Steven Gerrard asking me this?’
“Steve Bruce is probably looking and thinking, ‘Where is Jermaine going? Why does he swerve to the left – he plays on the right!’” But I went to talk to Steven Gerrard!
“So I said to him, ‘Why, do you know him?’ He’s gone, no, no. Then I said, ‘Do you want his number?'”
Pennant then burst into laughter as he recalled his cheeky mid-game antics, which actually culminated in the transfer of a lifetime.
“So then after the game,” he continued. “I called my agent and said, ‘Steven Gerrard wants your number. Do you know him? Get his number! Call him!’”
Months after Birmingham’s relegation was confirmed, Pennant signed a four-year contract with Liverpool for an estimated fee of £6.7 million.
He spent three years at the club, although he was loaned out to Portsmouth for the final year of his contract.
During this time he won the 2006 Community Shield and narrowly missed out on the Champions League, where he lost 2-1 to AC Milan in the final.
But looking back on the fateful day of his transfer to Liverpool, Pennant explained that things actually happened very quickly.
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“It was a training session and one of the trainers came running,” he recalled. “And he says, ‘You better go to the locker room and call your agent.’
“Immediately I went, oh my God. I took a strong walk because I was thinking, right. What have you been doing in the last few months? And I couldn’t remember what it was! So I went into the locker room and called him.
“And he said, ‘Where are you?’ I said, “I’m in the locker room.” And that made it worse.
“So I sat down and he said, ‘Okay, change. Get ready as quickly as possible and head to Liverpool.’
“And I thought: Why?
“(He said) They agreed to a deal! I didn’t even know they were going to meet. He just said they had agreed on a deal for me to sign, so go down.”
“I didn’t even shower. I just got dressed and left. As I was getting ready, I came running out and thought, ‘Guys, see you later! All the best for this season.’
“They were just relegated to the championship too! I hugged Steve Bruce. And he asked, ‘Where are you going?’ I said: ‘a medical at Liverpool’. He raged!”