Steven Gerrard Leaves Liverpool
The Reds' capitan, Steven Gerrard, has announced that he would leave Liverpool at the end of this season.
The 34-year-old Gerrard has spent 25 years in Liverpool but will leave on a free transfer when his contract expires, BBC informs.
The midfielder has scored 180 goals in 695 games for the Reds and helped them win the Champions League, the UEFA Cup, two FA Cups, three League Cups, one Community Shield and two UEFA Super Cups.
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According to the Independent, Gerrard is thought to be mulling over a number of offers, including one from the Los Angeles Galaxy in the Major League Soccer (MLS). He has intimated that any move will be decided on what is best for his family and that he will not be playing any longer in the Premier League because he has no desire to face Liverpool as an opposing player.
The Guardian stresses that Gerrard was offered a new deal by the club in November but, having weighed up the prospect of reduced playing time for Brendan Rodgers’ team next season against the lure of a move abroad, has opted for a fresh experience in the twilight of his career.
Gerrard has come close to leave Liverpool team twice before, for Chelsea in 2004 and 2005, and has previously rejected offers from the likes of Bayern Munich to remain at the Anfield.
Gerrard, Liverpool’s record goalscorer in European football, does not want his Anfield career to peter out and despite admitting to being a home bird on several occasions, is keen to experience a different culture away from the goldfish bowl of Merseyside.
Former Reds striker John Aldridge, says Liverpool will not be able to find a direct replacement: "He is irreplaceable. It's not just on the field, but also in the dressing room where he gets the best out of the players around him."
Former Manchester United and Everton player Philip Neville is sure that Liverpool are making a mistake by allowing Gerrard to leave: "Steven Gerrard had that unbelievable ability to carry a team on his own, not through shouting and bawling but through his own performance."
Gerard Houllier managed Gerrard at Liverpool from 1998 to 2004 and made the midfielder captain at the age of 22 said: "Whether he will come back to Liverpool, only the future will tell. After a break, maybe he will go through training and take his badge to become manager.He's got all the ingredients about him to start a career. He was always thinking about the team. He's a star player because he's a team star player. He thinks about the team, the club and the development of others."
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Source: Legit.ng
