Rodgers: Always a place for Gerrard

02 December 2014 06:31

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers insists there will 'always' be a playing role for Steven Gerrard at Anfield as the captain mulls over the offer of a new contract.

Gerrard, whose existing deal runs out in the summer, is pondering his future after being offered terms on what is believed to be a one-year deal.

And Rodgers is hopeful the 34-year-old - "a proper legend of this football club", who he would welcome on board in a coaching capacity when he hangs up his boots - will stay put.

Quoted in several national newspapers, the Northern Irishman said: "For me there will always be a position for Steven here as a player. If he ever went away from here, then I'm sure there will be a time later on in his life where there will be a role for him back here.

"At this moment in time he is still very much a player. That is his concentration.

"When I see how he trains and works, it is still about playing. Then maybe there is a role further down the line. To have someone like that beside you in a coaching capacity would be great.

"At this moment it is purely about football. He is 35 at the end of this season and still has a couple of years to play if he wants to. There are many things at this stage he needs to factor in, not just about football.

"I hope there is a solution with the club and the representatives. It is not about the money - it is about the time of his career in terms of playing.

"You've seen the great captains this club has had down the years who have led by example and he does that for all the players. He is a unique guy who is a proper legend of this football club."

Gerrard will have to accept he has a reduced role to play at the club if he agrees to extend his stay beyond the end of his current contract.

The midfielder has featured in every Premier League match this season, but Saturday's victory over Stoke, when he was left on the bench until the final 20 minutes, was the first time he had not played the 90 minutes.

Gerrard was also left on the bench for Liverpool's visit to Real Madrid in the Bernabeu last month and Rodgers admits that is something he will have to get used to if he is to remain at Anfield beyond this season.

''He's at the stage of his career where it's not so much the number of games he plays now, it's about the level of the game - and that's something I'll always work with him and we'll look at,'' the Reds boss said.

Liverpool will be looking to build on the scrappy 1-0 win over Stoke on Tuesday night when they visit bottom side Leicester.

"We haven't been in the best of form in terms of our performance level, and we needed to change that," Rodgers added.

"We needed to raise the standard across the board - myself included."

Source: PA