Steven Gerrard played 45 minutes on his LA Galaxy debut as his new team beat Club America 2-1 in the International Champions Cup.

The former Liverpool man was donning a shirt of a different club team for the first time in 27 years and would have been impressed with what he encountered with goals from Robbie Keane and Alan Gordon earning LA a morale-boosting win.

Gerrard – as expected – played just the first half and he impressed in centre-midfield, showing off his array of long passing skills and nearly got on scoresheet, only to be denied from close range by Hugo Gonzalez.

It was Keane that stole the show though, as his goal, which came just before half-time after Carlos Quintero opened the scoring early on for the visitors, was a stunning effort, bringing the ball down over his shoulder with a sublime first touch before finishing with aplomb.

The International Champions Cup is a series of friendly matches involving teams from North America and Europe and this was the first of many games to be held in Mexico, Canada, China, Australia, London and Florence.

Gerrard was involved from an early stage, instigating moves from an advanced centre-midfield role but it was the Mexicans that took the lead inside 12 minutes.

A long ball forward sent Quintero through on goal and he kept cool to finish through the legs of LA Galaxy goalkeeper Brian Rowe.

Gerrard almost became an instant hit with the home fans on 22 minutes but he missed a glorious chance to equalise.

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He latched onto a nice flick from Jose Villarreal with a trademark burst into the box but his shot from 12 yards was blocked away by Gonzalez.

The equaliser did come though just before the break – and it was worth the wait.

Gerrard’s former team-mate at Liverpool, Keane, plucked a 50-yard ball out of the air with his left foot which wrong-footed Gonzalez, who had rushed off his line, and, quick as a flash, Keane shifted his body to the right and rolled the ball into the net in cheeky fashion.

LA coach Bruce Arena rang the changes at half-time, resting Gerrard and Keane, and the game suffered as a consequence with both teams failing to find rhythm to their game.  

There would to be a winning goal though as Gordon rose highest at the back post to head home a cross off the far post.