Arsene Wenger met with the press on Friday ahead of his side’s showdown on Sunday against Manchester united.

With Steven Gerrard getting ready to slip play at Anfield for the last time this weekend, the boss was asked if he’d ever tried to sign the midfielder, something I don’t remember us ever even having been rumoured to have tried.

Workmen paste a poster over Liverpool's English midfielder Steven Gerrard as they replace sections of a mural outside The Kop stand at Anfield, Liverpool, northwest England on May 13, 2015. After more than 500 appearances for Liverpool Gerrard will play his last game at Anfield on May 16, ahead of his move to play for LA Galaxy next season. AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLIS
Workmen paste a poster over Liverpool’s English midfielder Steven Gerrard as they replace sections of a mural outside The Kop stand at Anfield, Liverpool, northwest England on May 13, 2015. After more than 500 appearances for Liverpool Gerrard will play his last game at Anfield on May 16, ahead of his move to play for LA Galaxy next season. AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLIS

The boss confirmed this

“No (we didn’t try to sign Gerrard), at some stage it was questioned for him to go to Chelsea and not stay at Liverpool.”

He then took a moment to praise the Liverpool man for something he places a lot of importance on – loyalty. Staying loyal to a number of players during his time as Arsenal manager, he has often seen that faith repaid with a knife in the back so it’s not surprising that he has highlighted that aspect of Gerrard’s career.

“But I would just like to pay tribute to an absolutely fantastic player,” Wenger added.

“I would also like to do it because he has remained loyal to his club his whole career, you don’t see that a lot.”

Gerrard arrived at Liverpool in 1987 and, apart from that one time when he handed in a transfer request, wanted to go to Chelsea and received death threats from his own fans, remained totally loyal.