The hidden side of Steven Gerrard that Cammy Devlin channels as Hearts star reveals 'he's the reason I play football'

Cammy Devlin now takes Italian inspiration from Marco Verratti after Steven Gerrard first got him into the game.

The Hearts ace constantly watches footage of football’s elite in a bid to improve himself. Devlin got into the game by eyeing ex-England skipper and Rangers boss Gerrard and says stars such as midfield magician Verratti also enthuse him.

He said: “My favourite player of all time, and he’s actually the reason that I started playing football, is Steven Gerrard. I’m nowhere near as good as he ever was but in terms of the way he played as a defensive player. I feel like the way he breaks up play and keeps the play ticking, he’s more got that forward play that I want to get so much better at in terms of he was scoring so many goals and creating so many chances.

“The defensive side of his game is something that I have prided myself on my whole career and I absolutely love watching him. And another player, he’s playing in Qatar now, but Marco Verratti was a player that I absolutely loved watching for Italy and PSG.

“Just the way he played the game as a midfielder, I absolutely loved. And he’s small as well. I love watching football. I’m always watching at home. My missus hates it but that’s how you get better. You watch the players that you want to get to the heights that they’re at.

“We’re fortunate enough to be in the national team set-up where you’re playing opposition at the World Cups and things like that where you get to see them live. I watch clips of myself or games back with the staff most weeks, to be honest, of things obviously I did well, but also the things like: What could you have done here? What could you have done here?

“You watch the Premier League and things like that and players in different