"It’s irreversible and I decided I wanted to overcome my own problems to raise money for Lupus UK and raise awareness.
"I’m not sure if my knees will let me run it all, but I’m determined to complete it even if I have to walk."
He added: "Gerrard is an icon and through my work with LFC it seemed a great idea to see if the artist, Wendy Mallas, would do a portrait.
"She’s done Rio Ferdinand in the past and that raised £1,000 so I’m hoping footy fans will dig deep again."
John is currently scouting young players from the Midlands and has already put through a few possible LFC stars of the future.
John met up with Steven Gerrard last week to get the picture signed. The footballer said: "I really like the painting, it must have taken a lot of effort and concentration. I hope it raises a lot money for a very worthy cause."
To bid, visit gerrard_auction@me.com or visit www.hibbsy.com until 10pm on December 12.
