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There hasn’t been much posts about football within these pages lately (but check out A Red Thing if you’re a Reds fan) and it’s no secret that age is certainly catching up.

1 or 2 years back and I’d be restless for not playing enough football (or soccer) as I’d be slugging it on the field or courts in the mornings, afternoons and nights.

At times it’d even be back to back, on Saturdays and Sundays.

Thankfully these days there aren’t such sessions or I’ll probably not be able to get up on a Monday morning, due to injuries and sore muscles — but mainly due to sore muscles.

Only 28years old and aches are taking longer to go away, cramps will lead to sore muscles after a few days and the endurance level just ain’t at the levels that they used to.

Or maybe I’ve not been working and training out the way I used to.

No, I’m not about to throw any towels and retire from football, or any sports, but I do feel like there’s a need for me to either recondition myself or cut down on the amount of sports that I’m getting.

It’s just tiring, and and that’s why I pity Mr Steven Gerrard, who’s has had to suffer the agony of unwarranted criticisms in recent months.

But I suppose losing to Manchester United (earlier in a 2-1 loss), and possibly that coveted 4th position in the league is more agony than all criticisms combined.

He’s 29 and after many years of dedicated service, he’s feelng ‘it’.

I don’t know if his ‘it’ is any similar to my ‘it’ but if there’s anything to describe ‘it’ then I suppose ‘burnout’ describes ‘it’ sufficiently.

Burnout from years of working above optimal performances and not reaping the rewards.

Burnout from constant interaction with average players.

There’s a saying that you are only as good as the crowd that you frequently hang out and mix with.

Is this possible burnout of mine psychological, or even work-induced?

I look around me, and though I see friends who are engineers, lawyers, designers, researchers, animators, managers and teachers, and though they are all commendable careers, I don’t quite fit into that group.

High flyers by all means, and academically respectable and they are all aiming to climb or please the corporate ladder as much as they can.

And in my line of work, and whatever little bits and pieces of knowledge that I’ve managed to sponge along the way, that line of thoughts and processes is simply out of alignment with me.

For the records, I’ll still work hard and attempt to climb any ladder, corporate or not, as fast as I can if it means to put food onto my table, because that is the right thing to do, but right now, It somehow don’t feel right to be setting my goal as being a [insert one of the afore-mentioned jobs] and working to climb the ladder.

It’s really hard to keep up with written inspiration, and sometimes you just wish that there’s someone who will hold your hands and lead you.

But everyone knows all too well that this happens only in children’s storybooks — this handholding thingy.

One has to walk by himself, and attempt to rise, bruised and battered, or fall and wallow in self pity into the abyss.

Steven Gerrard, he don’t play for the sake of playing and will probably never settle for anything less than a win, but external forces and teammates don’t seem to align with him as fondly as he’d like to.

Steven Gerrard has been a colossal figure for the past few years, but I wonder if he’d left his club for greener pastures, would he be lifting trophies already, instead of lifting his jersey to cover his face in disappointment, and partly shame as well?

Sure Liverpool Football Club might have stuttered and even be a little crippled without his presence, but he’d be playing alongside world class players, so who really knows if his situation would be as stupefying as his current’s.

But Stevie G, I hope you don’t abandon ship and leave, even if this season ends on a sour note, because you represent everything that I believed in.

Hard work, gritty performance, sublime skills and most of all, endurance.

Perserverance pays off, eventually right?

I guess that’s a big reason why I won’t be throwing any towels, anytime soon either.

After all, it’s a red thing.