The 37-year-old former midfielder is considered as one of Liverpool Football Club's all-time greats having represented the Reds more than 700 times between 1998 and 2015.

Now the manager of Liverpool's under-18s team, the native of the city was capped 114 times by England and won a string of honours during his career.

If successful with their bid, Liverpool's home ground of Anfield would host rugby sevens and Gerrard has now publicly thrown his weight behind the project.

"I am delighted to be able to back the city's bid to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games," he said.

"Liverpool is a city with a rich sporting heritage with its two football teams, boxing stars and global sporting events such as the Grand National and The Open being hosted on Merseyside.

"As a Scouser, it would be fantastic to have another global event like the Commonwealth Games in Liverpool and it would help showcase to the world what a great city Liverpool is."

Gerrard retired from football in November after ending his career in the United States with Los Angeles Galaxy.

His career included a UEFA Champions League win in 2005 when he inspired Liverpool to a penalty shootout victory over Italy's AC Milan, having been 3-0 down at half time.

He also won the UEFA Cup, UEFA Super Cup, three League Cups and two FA Cups.

The Premier League title was to elude him, however. 

Other former Liverpool players such as Robbie Fowler and Jamie Carragher have already backed the bid.

"It is great to have Steven Gerrard so positively backing Liverpool's bid to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games," said Liverpool 2022 chair Brian Barwick.

"During his career at Liverpool FC, Steven was recognised as a world-class star of a world-famous football club.

"To have both Steven and Liverpool Football Club so firmly behind the bid is a further indication of just how determined the city is to win the right to host the Games."

Liverpool, named this week by ESPN as the number one sporting city in the United Kingdom, is battling against Birmingham to win the English nomination for the 2022 race.

A decision is due to be made by Commonwealth Games England next month with both entrants hoping to replace South African city Durban - stripped of the hosting rights due to a lack of financial guarantees.

The centrepiece of Liverpool's campaign is the riverside regeneration of the city's Bramley-Moore Dock, the proposed site for a new stadium for Everton Football Club.

A temporary athletics track would be laid during the Games while a floating swimming pool is another key part of Liverpool's bid.

The 50 metre pool structure, with seating for 5,000 spectators, would be built on the water near Albert Dock.

Everton's current stadium Goodison Park would be the venue for boxing while archery would be hosted at Aintree Racecourse, home of the Grand National.

England faces competition to replace Durban from Canada and Malaysia, with potential bids from Victoria and Kuala Lumpur in the pipeline.