Steven Gerrard's father has said he turned to an underworld "fixer" to stop a gangster from terrorising his son and threatening to shoot him in the legs.
The information was in a letter Mr Gerrard wrote to a court where the fixer, John Kinsella, denies being part of a gang involved in a robbery.
Paul Gerrard said the Liverpool captain's car had been smashed up and he was chased home from training.
He said it was after he asked Kinsella for help that the trouble stopped.
Paul Gerrard said that Liverpool Football Club had provided extra security, and he had also contacted police but claims it was only after he contacted Kinsella that the threats ended.
Mr Gerrard's letter read: "I would like to say that in 2001 my son Steven was being terrorised by a notorious Liverpool gangster known as The Psycho, who was threatening to maim my son by shooting him in the legs.
"Also, he was trying to extort a large amount of money from Steven. We immediately contacted the police and asked for protection.
"This went on for a long time, during which Steven's car was smashed up and the gangster chased him while he was driving home from training.
"We were introduced by a friend to John Kinsella. John then reassured me and my family he would resolve our nightmare.
"We have never had any more problems from the Liverpool underworld. Steven and I have total respect for John."
Kinsella is on trial with two other men accused of stealing £41,000 of goods from a lorry depot in Grantham, Lincolnshire, on 19 March 2006.
Their alleged haul included £8,000 of Easter eggs and another £33,000 of crisps and detergents.
But the jury was told on Thursday that Kinsella had been "hoodwinked" in to taking part in the robbery.
Gordon Aspden, representing Kinsella, said: "He (Kinsella) said he was hoodwinked and there's a lot of evidence to back up his case that in advance of this robbery he did not know what was going to go off."
Kinsella, of Liverpool, denies robbery and a charge of dangerous driving. Two other men - James Muldoon, 28, and 49-year-old Stephen McMullen, both of Liverpool - deny robbery.
A fourth man, Thomas Hodgson, 29, of Liverpool, has admitted one charge of robbery.
The trial continues.
The information was in a letter Mr Gerrard wrote to a court where the fixer, John Kinsella, denies being part of a gang involved in a robbery.
Paul Gerrard said the Liverpool captain's car had been smashed up and he was chased home from training.
He said it was after he asked Kinsella for help that the trouble stopped.
Paul Gerrard said that Liverpool Football Club had provided extra security, and he had also contacted police but claims it was only after he contacted Kinsella that the threats ended.
Mr Gerrard's letter read: "I would like to say that in 2001 my son Steven was being terrorised by a notorious Liverpool gangster known as The Psycho, who was threatening to maim my son by shooting him in the legs.
"Also, he was trying to extort a large amount of money from Steven. We immediately contacted the police and asked for protection.
"This went on for a long time, during which Steven's car was smashed up and the gangster chased him while he was driving home from training.
"We were introduced by a friend to John Kinsella. John then reassured me and my family he would resolve our nightmare.
"We have never had any more problems from the Liverpool underworld. Steven and I have total respect for John."
Kinsella is on trial with two other men accused of stealing £41,000 of goods from a lorry depot in Grantham, Lincolnshire, on 19 March 2006.
Their alleged haul included £8,000 of Easter eggs and another £33,000 of crisps and detergents.
But the jury was told on Thursday that Kinsella had been "hoodwinked" in to taking part in the robbery.
Gordon Aspden, representing Kinsella, said: "He (Kinsella) said he was hoodwinked and there's a lot of evidence to back up his case that in advance of this robbery he did not know what was going to go off."
Kinsella, of Liverpool, denies robbery and a charge of dangerous driving. Two other men - James Muldoon, 28, and 49-year-old Stephen McMullen, both of Liverpool - deny robbery.
A fourth man, Thomas Hodgson, 29, of Liverpool, has admitted one charge of robbery.
The trial continues.
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