Born in Whiston, Merseyside, Gerrard spent the majority of his playing career as a central midfielder for Liverpool and the England national team, captaining both. He made his competitive debut for Liverpool in 1998. In 2000–01, he helped the club secure an unpredicted treble of cups and was made captain in 2003. In 2005, Gerrard led Liverpool to its fifth European title, being named Man of the Match as Liverpool came from 3–0 down to defeat Milan in the game that went on to become known as the "Miracle of Istanbul". The following year, he was named Man of the Match in the 2006 FA Cup Final, which has since been called "The Gerrard Final". Both matches are regarded as being amongst the greatest finals of each competition.