Liverpool have announced that England midfielder Steven Gerrard is definitely staying at Anfield.
The club made the announcement at a hastily arranged press conference amid ongoing speculation that Gerrard had agreed to join Chelsea.
According to press reports in recent weeks, Gerrard was set to join Chelsea in a £30m deal, but the Liverpool captain, who recently signed a five-year deal with the club, has now pledged his future to Anfield.
“Steven Gerrard has quashed all speculation linking him with a move by pledging his future to Liverpool Football Club,” said a club statement.
“The news will come as a huge relief to Liverpudlians everywhere who feared the club was set to lose the services of their highly influential captain.”
Gerrard has spent his entire career at Liverpool. However, he warned at the end of last season that he was becoming increasingly frustrated with the club’s inability to challenge the likes of Arsenal, Manchesrer United or Chelsea.
Nonetheless, and perhaps influenced by the appointment of Rafael Benitez as Gerard Houllier’s successor, Gerrard has decided to commit his future to the club.
“The last three or four weeks have been really confusing and for the first time in my career I thought about moving on,” admitted Gerrard.
“I have gone with the decision that is in my heart and that is to stay with Liverpool,” he added.
“It is slightly unusual in that we are announcing that a player is not going anywhere but when that player is Gerrard you will understand the significance,” added Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry.
