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Steven Gerrard confirms he will move to the U.S. when his Liverpool contract expires
Midfielder says he is unable to reveal which club he will play for when he moves stateside
Gerrard says he knew it was time to leave when Liverpool boss Brendan Rogers spoke about managing his games
Steven Gerrard has revealed he will move to the U.S. when he leaves Liverpool at the end of the current EPL season.
The Reds legend surprised fans and teammates with the announcement late on New Year’s Day that he would leave the club he supported as a boy and has represented on the pitch for the past 17 years when his contract expires in June.
Rumors quickly surfaced linking the Liverpool captain with a move to Los Angeles Galaxy, formerly home of ex England star David Beckham.
Speaking to Liverpool’s in-house TV channel Saturday, the player himself confirmed that the U.S. would be his next destination.
Gerrard didn’t confirm the club he will be signing for but reports late on Saturday suggested that an 18-month deal was close to being agreed with the Galaxy.
“I can tell the supporters at the moment that it will be America,” said the 34-year-old.
“But I’m not over the line with any team just yet. I’m close and as soon as I know, I’ll make the announcement, I’ll do the bits and bobs that I need to do.
“Then we try to go and win a trophy and forget about Steven Gerrard for a bit.”
Commenting on the difficulty of coming to his decision, Gerrard said he realized it was time to move on when Liverpool manager Brendan Rogers began to discuss how best to make the most of his abilities in the veteran stage of his career and the possibility that he may no longer be an automatic choice.
“There was more than one moment that has made me come to this decision, but I think the key conversation or moment was with the manager when he sat me down not so long ago and said it was time to manage my games for me and for the team,” Gerrard said.
“I’m bright enough to realize it is the right thing for everyone, but when you’ve been a starter and a mainstay in the team for such a long time, it was a very difficult conversation to have with the manager.
“I accept it and I’ll continue to give everything I’ve got, whether I’m starting, coming off the bench or whatever, but that was the key conversation that swung me to deciding to come away for a short while.
“I had an idea it was going to come at some time - I’m a human, not a robot. I’m not 24. I wish I was 24, I wish I’d met Brendan when I was 24 because I think I’d be sitting here talking about a lot of titles that we’d won together.”
Gerrard made his first-team debut for Liverpool in November 1998 and has scored 180 goals to date in all competitions.
He also represented England 114 times – before retiring after the 2014 World Cup – and has won eight trophies with Liverpool including two FA Cups, three League Cups and the UEFA Cup in 2001.
His greatest achievement came in 2005 when he captained Liverpool to victory in the Champions League final against AC Milan in Istanbul.
However, his long-cherished desire to win the Premier League never materialized – Liverpool came close in 2009 finishing second to Manchester United and last season Brendan Rodgers’ side were pipped to the post by Manchester City.
Even more distressingly Gerrard’s mistake in the 2-0 home defeat by Chelsea near the end of the season gifted the visitors their first goal – an error opposition supporters continue to remind the Liverpool captain about in a song during games.
Despite the teasing from opposition fans and occasional negative reviews of his performances this season from once-admiring pundits, Gerrard said he was taken aback by the support he has received in recent days.
Given his long history with the club and the emotional nature of his decision, its a backing he said he feels fortunate to have.
“I’ve been here a long time. I’ve been coming to this training ground since I was eight years of age,” he said.
“I always knew it was going to end one day and it would be an emotional decision. That decision is here. People will have their own opinions on it but for me, come the summer it will be the right time.
“The messages of support I’ve had from the fans, the players, the staff, the media and people who I’ve worked with for a long time has blew me away,” Gerrard continued.
“That’s when I’ve started getting emotional. But I need to be string and hold them back because I’m not going yet.”
“There are still six months to go and I’ve still got plenty to try to achieve, so I am trying to keep my focus on that.
Liverpool currently lie in eighth position in the EPL, six points behind fourth placed Southampton, and are still in contention for a Champions League place.
The club are also still competing in the Europa League and FA Cup.
Gerrard scored twice from the penalty spot on New Year’s Day as Liverpool drew 2-2 with Leicester City and is in contention to play when his side face AFC Wimbledon in the FA Cup on Monday.