 |
|
Liverpool captain Steven
Gerrard looks set to announce he is to leave the club in the summer.
|
Liverpool Football Club (LFC) captain Steven
Gerrard is set to announce he is to leave his boyhood club at the end of the
season, Press Association Sport understands.
The midfielder, who will
turn 35 in May, is out of contract in the summer, but, despite being offered a
new deal, he appears to have decided the time is right to leave and pursue a
fresh challenge.
Gerrard, who scored two
penalties in Liverpool's 2-2 draw against Leicester, has been free to talk to
foreign clubs from January 1.
He has not yet decided on
a future destination, but a move to Major League Soccer has long been rumoured
and Los Angeles Galaxy are said to be interested, as are clubs in the Middle
East.
If he were to announce
his decision to leave in the next 24 hours, it would be a move which mirrored
that of close friend Jamie Carragher, who decided to reveal he was retiring in
February 2013 to avoid his on-going contract situation becoming a distraction
for manager Brendan Rodgers.
Carragher wrote on
Twitter on Thursday night: "Sad day for LFC & English football with
the Gerrard news, I think it's the right decision all things considered."
Former Reds midfielder
Terry McDermott added: "Mark my words Gerrard is the greatest player to
have played for #lfc sad sad day for everyone connected with the club.
"Kenny (Dalglish)
and Souey (Graeme Souness) shone in great great LFC teams...Gerrard has played
in LFC teams that were at best mediocre and he carried them to trophies".
Gerrard joined Liverpool
as an eight-year-old and has made 695 appearances and scored 180 goals, winning
11 trophies with pinnacle being lifting the Champions League in 2005.
He made his first team
debut in 1998 and was made captain in 2003.
Liverpool have not
commented on speculation about Gerrard's future, but it has been suggested the
player himself will confirm the news on Friday.
No comments:
Post a Comment