London: Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard will join a team in the United States when he leaves Anfield at the end of the season, the Premier League club confirmed on Saturday. Gerrard, 34, announced on Friday that he has decided to leave Liverpool after a 25-year association with the club that has seen him make 695 appearances and score 180 goals. He said that he would join a foreign club and in a teaser for an interview with him due to be broadcast on Liverpool’s in-house television channel later on Saturday, Liverpool confirmed it will be a team in Major League Soccer. “Steven Gerrard confirms he will move to the USA this summer,” Liverpool said on Twitter.
Media reports in Britain suggest that Gerrard will follow in the footsteps of former England colleague David Beckham by joining the Los Angeles Galaxy. Meanwhile, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has rejected a claim by Gerrard’s former team-mate Jamie Carragher that the club could have done more to prevent the former England captain from leaving. Liverpool’s owners, the Fenway Sports Group, have already given Gerrard an invitation to return to the club in as-yet-unspecified capacity, and Rodgers said he was not interested in staying on as a coach.
“Steven’s statement makes it clear. He certainly knew my feelings on him wanting to be here,” Rodgers told a press conference on Saturday.“Of course I want him to stay, but his role is slightly different and naturally at this level it was going to be tapered a bit. He wasn’t ready to move into coaching yet. “He still sees himself very much as a player, but when that time comes and he retires, that is maybe something we can look at then as he is someone who would be brilliant to have as part of the staff here.”
Meanwhile, 2005 Champions League-winning manager Rafa Benitez said Liverpool will be losing their “red heartbeat” when Gerrard quits the club. “After hearing the news today that Steven will leave Liverpool ... I wanted to wish him all the best for the future and thank him for all his hard work during the time I was at Anfield,” the Napoli boss said. “Liverpool FC is not just losing a great athlete or a great footballer. The club is losing its red heartbeat. Steve, remember, you’ll never walk alone.” Benitez said the remarkable penalty shootout victory, after his side trailed 0-3 after 45 minutes against AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League, would not have been possible without Gerrard.
