STEVEN GERRARD CAPTAIN FANTASTIC / THE BRAVE KNIGHT Before I started the process of thinking about Gerrard as a legend or fairy-tale character I began by trying to achieve a likeness.
STEVEN GERRARD CAPTAIN FANTASTIC / THE BRAVE KNIGHT An iconic moment now associated with Steven Gerrard's Premier League career is when he slipped over to at a crucial moment, effectively losing Liverpool the Premier League title. Gerrard’s slip came a week after he gave a rousing speech to his teammates in which he ironically said “We don’t let this slip!” It seems unfair to focus on this moment when Gerrard was such a great player for Liverpool – this left me unsure about what to portray Gerrard as in my book.
Steven Gerrard Infinity By Dan Leydon
STEVEN GERRARD CAPTAIN FANTASTIC / THE BRAVE KNIGHT I’ve decided to portray Steven Gerrard as a fallen Knight. In fairy-tales if a task is particularly difficult it is sometimes said that many brave knights tried and failed to achieve said task e.g. defeating the dragon to save the princess. In Gerrard's career he fought bravely to try and win the Premier League but never quite managed it.
STEVEN GERRARD CAPTAIN FANTASTIC / THE BRAVE KNIGHT I didn't know whether to try and show both sides to Gerrard's career or focus just on the unhappy ending. In the end I felt the image of Gerrard kneeling and grasping the sword was more powerful and fitted with the fairy tale story more. I’ve also been considering the words that could accompany this illustration. I’ve been struggling with getting the tone right with this idea. Because its not as celebratory as the other illustrations. I don’t know if this affects the tone of the book and maybe shifts it more towards a sports humour book market with a more adult audience.
STEVEN GERRARDCAPTAIN FANTASTIC / THE BRAVE KNIGHT