Source: Team_Talk
Gerrard focused on task in hand
Steven Gerrard has vowed to learn from past mistakes and not let speculation about his Liverpool future wreck his World Cup.[LNB] Once again, Gerrard's Anfield future is the subject of fevered speculation.[LNB]Having slumped to a seventh-placed finish in a season where Liverpool were expecting to mount a serious title challenge, the 29-year-old is at a crossroads.[LNB]Real Madrid are said to be interested in the midfielder, whilst closer to home Chelsea have never made any secret of their admiration for a player who came so close to joining them in the past.[LNB]Those links are bound to be revived now Rafael Benitez appears committed to another four years with the Merseyside giants despite interest from Juventus.[LNB]But Gerrard is determined to ignore it all, to the point where he has expressly told agents, friends and close family not to discuss his future in public, or even tell him what is being written.[LNB]"I fell into a trap four years ago at the last World Cup," he revealed.[LNB]"I used to go back to my room, read the papers and go on the internet and then I would speak to people at home who were telling me that there was stuff going on.[LNB]"I knew that Chelsea were very interested because my agent was telling me. Every time I went back to my room I was driving myself mad thinking about whether I should go to Chelsea.[LNB]"Mentally it might have drained me. I don't know if it did or not but I won't make that mistake again."[LNB]The warnings have been issued. Gerrard may not be able to do anything about the wider chatter. But the elements he can control, he has.[LNB]"People around me are under strict instructions not to be talking about my club future or any speculation," he said.[LNB]"It's not important now.[LNB]"What is important is that I have a good and successful World up with the team. Agents, friends and family have been told not to be talking about club stuff to me."[LNB]Gerrard feels he is experienced enough now to maintain that approach for the next eight weeks, which might not be easy given the number of words likely to be written about a club who have so dramatically under-performed and whose ownership structure only fuels the sense of chaos.[LNB]"Last year was a massive disappointment after finishing second the previous season," he said.[LNB]"The challenge for me then was 'can we go one step further?'. Instead we took steps backwards.[LNB]"It has been very difficult, both personally and for everyone in the squad, to deal with the amount of setbacks that we have had.[LNB]"Hopefully things might happen whilst I am away.[LNB]"There might be players coming into Liverpool to help strengthen the team.[LNB]"But I'm not really interested at the moment in what's going on at Liverpool. My main focus is the World Cup."[LNB]It is what happens afterwards that fills most Liverpool fans with a sense of foreboding.[LNB]Although Jamie Carragher insisted earlier this week that no-one was bigger that the club he has spent his entire career with, the loss of Gerrard would be very hard to take for the Kop-ites, who struggle to see how a top-four place can be regained without an injection of cash.[LNB]These are all issues Gerrard intends to address in the middle of July, by which time he hopes to have a World Cup winners' medal to cherish.[LNB]"I won't consider my future or think about what is going to happen to me until after the World Cup," he said.[LNB]"I am experienced enough now to park issues like that.[LNB]"I am really focused and determined to put all my energy into playing for England."
