In football, particularly in the Premier League, players often come and go. Some, however, commit a large part of their careers to a single club—like Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard. Despite interest from major clubs like Manchester United and Chelsea, Gerrard stayed loyal to Liverpool until the twilight of his career.
So, when Gerrard’s cousin Bobby Duncan began gaining attention in 2018, Liverpool fans were hopeful that another star was in the making, one who might follow a similar path.
Duncan featured in a pre-season match for Liverpool’s senior team, scoring in a 6-0 win against Tranmere Rovers.
But things didn’t go as expected. Duncan, a striker, left the club in 2019 under unusual circumstances. So, what became of him after leaving Liverpool?
Duncan’s Time at Liverpool – A Missed Opportunity
Duncan showed great promise, scoring 23 goals in 26 games for Liverpool’s U18s.
Being Gerrard’s relative came with its own pressure. Born in Whiston, Duncan started his football journey at Mossley Hill and St Helens before joining Wigan Athletic in 2010. A year later, he moved to Manchester City and then signed with Liverpool in 2018.
He signed a three-year deal and played a key role in Liverpool’s FA Youth Cup win in 2018/19, scoring a crucial late equaliser in the final against Manchester City.
Liverpool paid £200,000 for Duncan, and during the 2018/19 season, he formed a lethal partnership with Paul Glatzel for the U18s.
The Controversial Exit From Liverpool
Things quickly turned sour when Duncan pushed for a move away. His agent at the time, Saif Rubie, publicly accused Liverpool of “bullying” and “destroying” Duncan’s life because they refused to let him leave. Rubie criticized Liverpool’s handling of the situation, calling it undignified, especially given Duncan’s family ties to Gerrard.
Liverpool responded, expressing disappointment over the accusations and stated they were focused on resolving the matter privately.
Career After Liverpool – A Decline
Following the fallout, Duncan joined Serie A side Fiorentina for £1.8 million in 2019. However, he failed to break into the first team and returned to England a year later to join Derby County, where he also struggled for game time.
Career Stats:
- Liverpool U18: 26 games, 23 goals
- Liverpool U19: 7 games, 2 goals
- Fiorentina Primavera: 12 games, 4 goals
- Derby Senior Team: 1 appearance
- Real Balompédica Linense (Spain): 7 appearances, 0 goals
His senior debut came in a 2-0 FA Cup loss to Chorley with Derby. Later, he played briefly for Spanish third-division side Linense. During his time there, Duncan addressed the Liverpool controversy, refuting his former agent’s claims. Rubie had stated he advised Duncan to stay at Liverpool, but Duncan denied this, writing on X (formerly Twitter):
“You and I both know the truth. I didn’t have a say. I’ve stayed quiet for four years because my focus was on getting my career back on track. Yet you think it’s fine to speak about me on live radio.”