If I remember correctly and bear in mind it was 7 years ago, gerrard handed in his transfer request after the cl final win because he thought he had achieved everything he could at the club and wanted to win a league title.
I'm not sure how he would have fitted into the team with lampard there seeing as they both need the team to be built around them.
Anyways the point I'm making is that players treat football like a job nowadays, I think it was assou-ekotto who said he doesn't even like football and it's just a way to make money.
Players are having more and more say over their transfers now. Think Ferguson wanted to sell Ronaldo? All the money in the world can't replace him but he wanted to go to his boyhood club and ferguson refused to stand in his way. Ashley cole met with chelsea behind our backs, gallas threw up a stink, wenger wanted to keep nasri last summer, liverpool fans thought torres was anfield through and through and were even talking about how he's getting a scouse accent, one transfer request later and he's out the door. Henry and flamini wanted to leave so they both left for lack of a better word, the only players I can think of in the past few years who wanted to leave but the clubs stopped the move would be gerrard, modric, tevez and fabregas up until last year.
