Steven Gerrard has officially confirmed that he will leave Liverpool at the end of this season.
The former England captain is out of
contract at the end of the current campaign and he has taken the
difficult and emotional decision not to renew terms.
Liverpool had made an offer to Gerrard in
November but the 34-year-old has reached the conclusion that he wants to
pursue a new challenge.
In a statement on Liverpool’s official website, Gerrard said: ‘This has been the toughest decision of my life and one which both me and my family have agonised over for a good deal of time.
‘I am making the announcement now so that the manager and the team are not distracted by stories or speculation about my future.
‘Liverpool Football Club has been such a
huge part of all our lives for so long and saying goodbye is going to be
difficult, but I feel it’s something that’s in the best interests of
all involved, including my family and the club itself.
‘I’m going to carry on playing and
although I can’t confirm at this stage where that will be, I can say it
will be somewhere that means I won’t be playing for a competing club and
will not therefore be lining up against Liverpool – that is something I
could never contemplate.
‘My decision is completely based on my
wish to experience something different in my career and life and I also
want to make sure that I have no regrets when my playing career is
eventually over.
‘I can’t thank Brendan, the owners and
everyone at the club enough for how they’ve handled this and I am
leaving on great terms. Also, I would like to thank my teammates and all
the staff for their help and continued support.
‘It is a very special place to be part of.
It is my sincere hope and wish that one day I can return to serve
Liverpool again, in whatever capacity best helps the club.
‘One point that is important to make is
that from now until the last kick of the last game of the season, I will
be as fully committed to the team as I ever have been and giving
everything I have to help Liverpool win games.
‘My final message is for the people who make Liverpool Football Club the greatest in the world – the supporters.
‘It has been a privilege to represent you,
as a player and as captain. I have cherished every second of it and it
is my sincere wish to finish this season and my Liverpool career on a
high.’
Following the announcement, Rodgers paid a personal and heartfelt tribute to Gerrard.
The manager said: ‘It is almost an
impossible task to find the words to appropriately sum up Steven Gerrard
and his importance to Liverpool.
‘This is an era where the word ‘legend’ is vastly overused, but in his case it actually doesn’t do him justice.
‘From a personal point of view I will always have gratitude for the support he gave me, when I arrived here as manager.
‘Steven came to see me and promised he
would be 100 per cent behind me and do everything he could to help as we
looked to introduce new ideas and a new way of working.
‘He wasn’t just true to his word, he vastly exceeded it.‘As a player he is immense and the
influence he has on games should never be understated. At times he has
carried this club on his back and in my time here he has always shown
the ability that has rightly seen him be regarded as one of the world’s
best for well over a decade.
‘As a leader and as a man, he is probably incomparable to anyone I have ever worked with.
‘He takes professionalism to a new level and the dedication he has to his work is an example to everyone in the game.
‘He is also someone who has always put the club and team ahead of himself and I think that will ultimately be his legacy.
‘People better placed than me to judge
have said Steven is Liverpool’s greatest ever player; when you look at
the company he is in, that is some statement.
‘We of course will miss him, both on the
field of play and in his capacity as club captain, but his influence
will live on and we wish him nothing but joy and success wherever he
chooses to go next.
‘Until that moment arrives I will continue
to enjoy working with Steven Gerrard the man and Steven Gerrard the
player, one of the greatest we have seen.’
Former Liverpool team-mate said on Twitter that it was the right decision for Gerrard to move on
Out of respect to the club he has been at
since he was eight, Gerrard will not play for another Barclays Premier
League club but there will be offers from elsewhere, with LA Galaxy and
New York Red Bulls leading the chase to take him to the MLS.
Gerrard has enjoyed a brilliant career at
Anfield. The Premier League title has eluded him, but he inspired
Liverpool to their incredible Champions League final comeback win
against AC Milan in 2005.
Relations between Gerrard and Liverpool
boss Brendan Rodgers have improved in recent months, but the midfielder
will insist today that his decision to quit is in the best interests of
his career.
Rodgers had suggested that Gerrard would finish his career as a central defender at Anfield, but his view has changed recently.
Instead, the captain was warned he will no
longer play every game and the club offered him a new package on
different terms for 2015-16.
LA Galaxy, who signed David Beckham in
2007, are among a number of clubs interested in signing Gerrard this
summer. New York Red Bulls, who employ former Liverpool manager Gerard
Houllier as their sporting director, are also in the hunt.
Gerrard insists he has made no decision
about his next club but has assured Liverpool he will not join a direct
rival, as Frank Lampard did when he quit Chelsea for New York City, then
joined Manchester City.
Gerrard’s availability will alert clubs
across Europe, though, and the former England skipper has a massive
decision to make. Monday’s FA Cup third-round tie at AFC Wimbledon is
the start of the long goodbye for a player who has made nearly 700
senior appearances for Liverpool.
Gerrard has lifted 11 trophies but he will
always regret missing out on the biggest domestic prize of all. The
closest he came to winning the title was last season, when Liverpool
finished two points behind champions Manchester City.
Gerrard’s international career ended when England limped out of last summer’s World Cup in Brazil without winning a game.
Shortly after, he announced his England
retirement following talks with club boss Rodgers aimed at extending the
Kop legend’s career.
After criticism of his form earlier this
season, particularly after Liverpool’s 3-1 defeat at West Ham, Gerrard
hit back when he scored in the derby against Everton.
He insisted he wasn’t finished but Liverpool’s exit from the Champions League in the group phase hit him hard.
Now he has resolved to quit the club and look for another challenge.
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