Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has admitted that he could retire from the game when his current contract expires in 2013, in an interview with France Football magazine published yesterday.
Gerrard made his debut for the club in 1998 and has since gone on to win two FA Cups, one League Cup, one UEFA Cup and the 2005 Champions League, when he inspired his side to a memorable comeback from 3-0 down against AC Milan.
“I will be 33 at the end of my contract in 2013 and I don’t know if I will go any further,” said Gerrard, 29, who was named the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year for 2008-2009 after scoring 24 goals in all competitions.
ONE CLUB
“If I do retire, then I will know that from the start to the end of my career I only had one club. And I don’t want to think about wearing any other shirt in the future,” he said.
“I was close to leaving in the past, maybe twice, most notably in 2005. That year we were a long way off the Premier League title and Chelsea’s interest turned my head,” Gerrard said.
“It was a difficult moment for me. However, now when I look back I am very happy that I chose to stay here. It has given me real pride,” he said.
The only major trophy to elude Gerrard in his Liverpool career is the Premier League title, as the Merseyside giants haven’t finished a season at the summit of English soccer since 1990.
CHALLENGE
But Rafa Benitez’s side pushed eventual champions Manchester United all the way last season, and Gerrard believes they will be able to mount an even stronger challenge next term.
“I think the experience of defeat will help us next season,” he said. “When you’re a player, it’s always hell to see other players lifting trophies.”
“The team made huge progress last season. Today we are much closer to the title than in the past,” Gerrard said.
“Manchester United have more depth in their squad than us, we have to be realistic,” he said. “But if we can add two or three quality players to what we already have, we’ll be at their level. The summer recruitments will be crucial.”
The Merseyside-born Gerrard has made 479 appearances for Liverpool.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY STAFF WRITER
Freddie Freeman homered and drove in four runs, Shohei Ohtani also went deep and Roki Sasaki earned his first major league win as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 10-3 on Saturday night for their seventh straight victory. The Dodgers have won the first two games of the series to improve to 5-0 against Atlanta this year. Los Angeles’ three-game sweep at home early in the season left the Braves 0-7. Sasaki allowed three runs and six hits over five innings. The 23-year-old right-hander gave up a home run to Ozzie Albies, but received plenty of offensive support in his
Bayern Munich on Sunday were crowned German champions for the 34th time, giving striker Harry Kane his first major trophy, after second-placed Bayer 04 Leverkusen drew 2-2 at SC Freiburg. Bayern’s 3-3 draw at RB Leipzig on Saturday, when the Bavarians came from two goals down to take the lead before conceding a stoppage-time equalizer, meant defending Bundesliga champions Leverkusen needed to win at Freiburg to delay the title party. Leverkusen were two goals down before scoring twice in the final 10 minutes, but Xabi Alonso’s side could not find a third, as Bayern reclaimed the title at the first attempt after
A man fell from the 6.4m-high Clemente Wall in right field at PNC Park in Pittsburgh during Wednesday night’s game between the Pirates and the Chicago Cubs. Right after Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run double in the seventh inning to put the Pirates ahead 4-3, players began waving frantically for medical personnel and pointing to the man, who had fallen onto the warning track. The fan was tended to for approximately five minutes by members of both the Pirates and Cubs training staffs as well as PNC personnel before being removed from the field on a cart. The team issued a statement shortly
PAINFUL VICTORY: Ruud said that felt pain in his rib during the warmup and was put on painkillers so that he could finish the match against Argentine Francisco Cerundolo With the help of painkillers, Casper Ruud overcame a rib ailment to defeat Francisco Cerundolo in straight sets and reach the Madrid Open final on Friday. Ruud is to face Jack Draper, who beat Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 7-6 (4) in the other semi-final to make his third final of the year. Ruud received treatment on his rib three games into the match and went on to win 6-4, 7-5 on the Caja Magica center court. The 15th-ranked Norwegian saved 15 of the 18 break points he faced against the 21st-ranked Argentine. Ruud said he felt something in his rib during the warmup, just before
RSS