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LATEST NEWS
Gerrard stays and stays skipper |
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| Steven Gerrard offered to give up the captain's armband at Liverpool in recognition of the
upset his transfer U-turn has caused at Anfield.
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| Memories of that night in Istanbul have played on Gerrard's
mind. (MikeHewitt/GettyImages) |
| The move, which was rejected by manager Rafael Benitez, emphasised the depth of irritation Gerrard felt his
controversial stance has caused.
Gerrard addressed his team-mates face to face at the club's Melwood
training ground today, but those same players had already spoken to Benitez - and told them they wanted their European Cup-winning
skipper to keep the job.
'Steven is our captain and I want him to stay as captain,' Benitez told the club's website.
The news came as a welcome relief to Gerrard, who is expected to sign a £20million four-year contract
on Friday.
'It would have broken my heart to have lost the captaincy but I thought it was right to make the
offer because I know some of the players have been frustrated with what has gone on,' he said.
Just 24 hours ago, the Reds were resigned to losing their skipper after Gerrard rejected the deal
which would have made him the highest-paid player in the club's history.
With Chelsea poised to swoop with a British record £40million bid, Gerrard left Melwood for what
appeared to be the last time, steeling himself for a life away from his hometown club.
But once he got home, his mind started swirling. With the television and mobile phone switched
off, Gerrard sat in a room with his girlfriend and agent Struan Marshall and realised he was on the brink of the biggest mistake
of his life.
'I was just thinking `how have we got into this mess and what is the best way out of it?',' he
told the Liverpool Echo.
'I knew I had to do what I had intended to do all along and sign a new contract.
'I love Liverpool so much. This is my club. My heart is with Liverpool. Everyone who knows me can
see how I feel.
'The last thing I wanted to do was leave, I just could not do it.'
So, just as he did 12 months ago, Gerrard phoned Parry and told him he wanted to sign the contract
after all.
On paper, the deal will keep the Huyton-born star at Anfield until 2009, but for Parry it is an
acceptance he will stay for life.
'I am sure he is going to stay for good,' said a relieved Parry, who spent an hour with Gerrard
at Melwood this afternoon.
'Steven's commitment is complete. Last night, I admit it looked as if it was going the other way
but when it came down to it, I just think he couldn't leave.'
Chairman David Moores, a close friend of Gerrard who also attended today's brief discussions, claimed
the player had become 'confused' about the intentions of Parry and manager Rafael Benitez.
The indecision stemmed from Liverpool's failure to launch contract talks immediately after Gerrard
had skippered the club to their stunning Champions League triumph over AC Milan in May.
Already irritated at the delay, Gerrard's patience snapped last Wednesday when Parry turned up
for a first round of talks armed not with an offer but a request for the 25-year-old's terms.
What Parry took to be standard negotiating practice, Gerrard interpreted as further proof he was
no longer wanted, triggering a tumultuous series of events that appeared certain to see him sign for Chelsea.
'I felt I was being backed into a corner,' revealed Gerrard.
'I know it looked as though I wanted to go but at one stage I thought I had no choice.
'If I blame anyone, it's myself. I wanted my future sorted out as soon as possible after the Champions
League final but the longer it went on, the more misunderstandings there were.
'I admitted I have made some mistakes and that the club has acknowledged they have made some as
well. I have now apologised to Liverpool and they have apologised to me, which is important.
'But now we have sorted it out and I am doing what I wanted to do all along, which is stay at Liverpool.'
The good news for the Reds fans who gathered in numbers outside Melwood's metal gates as reports
of Gerrard's U-turn filtered through, is that he has pledged not to put them through similar anguish again.
Having been given a few days off to recover from the emotional turmoil, he will almost certainly
miss Saturday's friendly at Wrexham, but could be involved at Anfield next Wednesday as Liverpool begin the defence of their
European title against Welsh minnows Total Network Solutions.
Those ties should be negotiated with the minimum of fuss and mark the start of Liverpool's preparations
for an assault on the Premiership title, which, for all the Reds' perceived lack of success in recent times, is the only medal
missing from Gerrard's collection.
'I have only one medal left to win at Liverpool and that is the Premiership,' he said.
'That is what I want more than anything and Liverpool is the only place I have ever wanted to win
it.
'In my heart, this is my club. I want to help bring success here for the supporters and for their
sake, as well as my own, I never want to go through this again.' | |
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