Although the future of Liverpool defender Glen Johnson looks to be in question, the Reds are moving quickly to tie down one of their other veteran stars with boss Brendan Rodgers confirming that a new deal is on the table for long serving captain Steven Gerrard.
Yesterday, the 34-year old dismissed talks of a rift with his manager after being named on the bench for the Anfield outfits narrow win over Stoke City at the weekend. Gerrard, who has been at the Merseyside club since his days as a schoolboy, said last month that he could finish his career elsewhere if he wasn’t offered a new deal, but in his press conference ahead of tomorrow’s meeting with Leicester City, Rodgers explained the Reds legend has something to think about.
“He has been offered a contract here. He has been here for 16 years and he is a man who deserves the utmost respect and should be given the time to consider it” said the Northern Irishman when asked about the skipper. “It is a big move. The one thing it won’t be about is money. I have spoken to him enough times and at length, and that won’t be the case.”
It’s been rumoured that Gerrard, much like Johnson, has been offered a cut on his salary to remain at Anfield. Whether or not that’s the case remains to be seen, but before wrapping up, Rodgers joined the captain in denying that there’s any rift between them. “One thing is clear, I love working with Steven Gerrard. He is arguably the best player that’s ever played in the Premier League and I have enjoyed every single minute of working with him here and I hope that continues” enthused the Reds boss. “I saw some things yesterday in terms of a rift between him and I which was unfortunate. The two words that would describe my relationship with him are honest and respect. To read yesterday about a rift is disappointing, but you can’t control that.”
