Steven Gerrard Exit Confirmed by Liverpool: Full Details, Comment, Reaction
Liverpool have announced that Steven Gerrard will not be signing a new contract, meaning the current campaign will be his last as a Reds player
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Gerrard Turned Down Premier League Offers
Tuesday, Jan. 6
James Pierce of the ECHO provides more comments from Gerrard:
"I had a lot of offers – domestically, from Europe, Asia and America,” Gerrard told the ECHO.
When I decided the time was right to leave Liverpool, I knew straightaway I wouldn't ever sign for another domestic club or anyone in Europe.
I never wanted to find myself in the situation where I was coming back to play against Liverpool. Even if I went somewhere else in Europe I'd be running that risk in terms of the European competitions.
"
Gerrard Comments on Future, Final Liverpool Campaign and More
Saturday, Jan. 3
Gerrard discussed his exit in an interview with Liverpool TV:
Liverpool Confirm Gerrard's Exit
Friday, Jan. 2
The club’s official Twitter announced the news:
The club released an accompanying statement on their official website, in which the iconic captain is quoted as follows:
"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 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 team-mates and all the staff for their help and continued support.
"
The 34-year-old—who has enjoyed a magnificent career since making his debut for the Anfield club back in 1998— is set to move to MLS, according to Liverpool, who announced the move on Saturday:
In the aforementioned statement, Gerrard confirmed he will continue his playing career but that he'll never line up against the Reds:
"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.
"
Manager Brendan Rodgers was unashamed in his praise for the midfielder, per the club's official website:
"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.
"
Luis Suarez took to Twitter to show his appreciation for Gerrard:
Gerrard's decision means he has only half a season left in the famous red jersey, and the remaining days of his Anfield stay will likely overshadow what the team does on the pitch.
Principal owner John W. Henry and chairman Tom Werner released a joint statement to sum up the emotion of Gerrard's farewell, per the club's official website:
"There is sadness that such a great player and person is leaving and won't be playing for Liverpool beyond this season.
But there is also a sense of celebration and gratitude, that we've all been privileged to watch and work with one of the true greats, not just of this club, but the game in general.
We will all have our own personal memories of breathtaking Steven Gerrard moments; there are far too many to list.
"
Here's a look at the major honours won by Gerrard in his distinguished Liverpool career:
| Champions League | 2004/05 |
| UEFA Cup | 2000/01 |
| FA Cup | 2000/01, 2005/06 |
| League Cup | 2000/01, 2002/03, 2011/12 |
| FA Community Shield | 2006 |
| UEFA Super Cup | 2001, 2005 |
Sky Sports News HQ provides Gerrard's impressive Premier League statistics:
Gerrard has lit up Anfield with a massive amount of rumbustious displays during his 17-season stint as a player. Ahead of the announcement, plenty had hailed him as Liverpool’s finest player. Given his patent for stepping up in the biggest games, per This Is Anfield, that’s no surprise:
Former team-mate Michael Owen thinks Gerrard is the best ever to play for the club:
Indeed, Gerrard was often a sole bastion of light in some pretty average Liverpool sides. His magnificent displays at the heart of midfield often catalysed major glories, of which there were many.
In 2001, a young Gerrard was vital to Liverpool winning the UEFA Cup, FA Cup and League Cup in the same season. Even then, there were obvious signs of his outstanding potential.
When he was named as skipper back in 2003, it was little surprise. The responsibility of leading his local side seemed to spur the midfielder, who went on to become arguably the finest player in the world under the tutelage of Rafael Benitez.
His partnership alongside Xabi Alonso at the heart of the Liverpool midfield was central to that development. The Spanish midfielder reacted to the news on social media:
Gerrard sampled his finest moment with the Reds in 2005, when his crucial header inspired Liverpool to come back from three goals down against AC Milan in the Champions League final and win the club’s fifth European Cup.
He flirted with the prospect of leaving Liverpool to join up with Chelsea on the back of that triumph but had a change of heart and stuck with the Reds. At the end of the very next season, Gerrard was once again proving his status as the one of the world’s very best, inspiring Liverpool to another comeback triumph, this time in the FA Cup final against West Ham United.
Another League Cup win came in 2012, and last season Gerrard looked set to claim the Premier League trophy that had eluded him. But an ill-timed slip in a match against Chelsea—the Reds eventually lost, 2-0—handed the title initiative to Manchester City, leaving Gerrard’s men in second place, just as they had finished in 2002 and 2009.
With the Reds currently toiling below the European places in the Premier League table this season, that accolade is one that will now surely escape the Liverpool icon.
However, that omission—the only major domestic or European honour Gerrard didn’t win at club level—shouldn’t blemish what has been a stunning career. Gerrard has carried the Reds for the bulk of his playing days, showcasing an ability to coax those around him into raising their game while leading with an understated but steely determination.
The club captain paid tribute to the supporters who have backed him throughout his time as a Liverpool player, per the aforementioned statement:
"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.
"
Former Reds striker John Aldridge summed up the feeling of Liverpool fans across the globe:
While it's goodbye for now from Gerrard, former Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier—who gave Gerrard his Liverpool debut—thinks that the midfielder will be back at the club again one day:
The time is right for him to move on, too. The unforgivingly fast pace of the Premier League has caught up with his ageing legs, and a switch to a more physically accommodating league like MLS should prolong his days as a player.
While he could arguably have been better utilised by Brendan Rodgers so far this season, Gerrard’s usually irrepressible influence has faded fast in a red shirt.
But his stature as a Liverpool legend will remain indisputably prominent in the hearts and minds of anyone who was privileged enough to see the midfielder plying his trade at Anfield over the past 17 seasons.
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