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JUNE 13
Gerrard
ready for contract talks
Sporting Life
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has reiterated his desire to stay at
Anfield and hopes talks over a new deal can be resolved quickly.
After leading the club to victory in the Champions League, Gerrard is
now ready to commit his future to Liverpool and is keen for contract
negotiations to get under way.
Gerrard has been linked with other clubs - most notably with Chelsea
last summer - but he admitted after the Champions League success it
would be difficult to leave.
Asked today if he wanted to stay at Liverpool, the 25-year-old told Sky
Sports News: "Of course. I've still got two seasons left and I don't
know how long talks will go on for but the sooner it is sorted the
better."
Gerrard insists he is already looking forward to the start of the new
season, which for Liverpool begins with a Champions League first-round
qualifier on July 12 or 13.
He is unconcerned about having to start the campaign so early and is
just happy UEFA have been able to allocate Liverpool a place in the
competition.
UEFA changed their rules last week to allow the holders the chance to
defend their title. They had not qualified automatically after finishing
fifth in the Barclays Premiership.
He added: "It is very important for the champions to defend the trophy.
I'm looking forward to a long season ahead.
"We can't complain about being in the first round because the rules
stated we shouldn't be
in it.
"The European Cup has gone now. We've got to be just as hungry. We won
the big one but it is important we forget about that and move on and try
to do better in the Premiership."
The early start to Gerrard's season means he could be in action for
almost a year should England go far in the World Cup.
But he brushed aside fears he may be tired, saying: "People think I'll
be drained but I'll look after myself."
Gerrard's long season will include a trip to Japan in December to play
in FIFA's World Club Championship.
The tournament will incorporate the Toyota Cup, a play-off between the
European and South American club champions and FIFA have made clear they
expect Liverpool to be there.
"They must play the Toyota Cup because it is binding for them for 2005,"
president Sepp Blatter told the Daily Mail.
"The cup is in Japan and they will have to travel. Do you think they
won't play?
"They will play."
MAY 26
Secret
talks decided Gerrard future
Ananova
Steven Gerrard's advisors held secret talks with Liverpool over his
new contract while the club were preparing for their historic Champions
League triumph in Istanbul.
Gerrard's agent Straun Marshall held meetings with Liverpool chief
executive Rick Parry to pave the way to the Liverpool captain signing a
new deal which could be worth as much as £5million a year.
Those talks were the reason Gerrard was so positive in the after-match
press conference when he told the world he could not see himself leaving
the club after they had stunned Europe by beating AC Milan in a penalty
shoot-out in a hysterical Ataturk Stadium.
The outcome of those talks were productive and it is now expected
Gerrard and Marshall will meet Parry in the next week to formulate the
deal which would see the England midfielder sign a two-year extension to
his current deal, which still has two years to run.
That contract could be worth as much as £100,000 a week - which would
see Gerrard pick up £20million if he stays the full course of the deal.
The wages would put him very much in line with the money Chelsea's top
stars earn, the club who have constantly been linked with Gerrard since
the end of Euro 2004.
Chelsea are believed to have let it be known he would earn £120,000 a
week if he moved to Stamford Bridge but the lure of staying with his
home town club and playing for the European champions has finally swung
Gerrard into staying at Anfield.
MARCH 26
Gerrard:
I am fully commited to LFC
By Steve Hunter - LFC Official Website
Steven Gerrard has underlined his 100 per cent commitment to
Liverpool and says rumours about a supposedly done deal with Chelsea is
just absolute rubbish.
Gerrard has told fans not to believe everything they read in newspapers
and wants to put the record straight that he has not signed a deal with
any other club and is as committed to Liverpool Football Club as he has
ever been.
The Liverpool captain says the constant speculation about his future
throughout this season has been ridiculous and says he still wants to be
successful with his boyhood team.
In a passionate interview the Liverpool captain wants to reassure fans
that despite what has been written and said elsewhere he wants to help
Rafael Benitez build a successful team.
Gerrard said: "I held a press conference last summer to say I was
staying and the situation hasn't changed since then. I can tell you for
a fact the suggestion I've already made up my mind to leave Liverpool
and I've done a deal to join another club is absolute rubbish. There's
no deal for me to go anywhere and I've not even been thinking about
that.
"There has been a lot of rubbish written about me this season and it's
getting ridiculous. There are people out there whom I've never even met
assuming they know what I think.
"Sometimes I feel I'm in a no-win situation. No doubt in Sunday's papers
someone somewhere will misinterpret this but if I say nothing, then
you'll have some fans saying 'Gerrard hasn't denied it, so it must be
true'.
"On the one hand I want to put the record straight and let the fans know
they shouldn't believe everything they're hearing about me. On the
other, I know everything I say is being interpreted to mean one thing or
another.
"It gets to the point where you wonder if you should do interviews, but
I've always been honest in everything I've said. If I responded every
time a rumour was printed about me I would spend all my time denying I
had decided to go. How many times do I have to say it?"
Gerrard says he will sit down at the end of the situation and discuss
the future with Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez but believes the club
are headingin the right direction.
Gerrard said: "All I've been concentrating on since I decided to stay
last summer was being successful with Liverpool, making sure we qualify
for the Champions League next year and going as far as we can in the
Champions League this year.
"The last thing I want to to do is leave this club because I want us to
be challenging for honours every season. At the end of the season I'll
be sitting down with the manager and talking about the future, but until
then all of us are trying to just focus on doing the best for the club
and making sure we qualify for the Champions League."
MARCH 20
Rafa in Gerrard vow
By Mark Buckingham - Sky Sports
Rafa Benitez insists a lack of UEFA Champions League football will
not be a barrier to Liverpool keeping hold of captain Steven Gerrard.
The talismanic midfielder is a long-term target of Chelsea and reports
suggest the champions-elect will make another move for the England
international in the summer.
With The Reds struggling to qualify for next season's Champions League,
it could make it difficult for Gerrard to ignore the overtures from the
capital.
But Liverpool boss Benitez is adamant that retaining Gerrard's services
is not dependent on the club qualifying for the Champions League.
Gerrard has two years remaining on his contract at Anfield and Benitez
feels this puts Liverpool in a strong position to determine their
skipper's future at the end of the season.
Benitez is anxious for the club to hang onto Gerrard for even longer and
has reiterated his view that the midfielder is key to Liverpool's future
success.
"I have four more years here and I want him to stay for that time," said
Benitez.
"And, if it is possible and I stay for five more after that, I would
want him to stay too because he is a great player.
"I have said before it is easier for me to have English players and
Steve is our captain, a key player, a fantastic player. I do not want to
talk about him leaving.
"Champions League football is not essential to keep Gerrard because he
has two years of his contract to run and is our player, so we do not
have to change the situation.
"I only want to do the best for this club and that means keeping your
best players. If players are not happy, then maybe you need to make them
happy.
"Michael Owen had only one more year but Gerrard's case is different. He
is our player for the next two years and I have told him many times we
want to build a team around him."
MARCH 15
Stevie now in
tap-up claim
By David Prentice - Liverpool Echo
The Premier League looks set to call a full investigation into
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho's alleged 'tapping-up' activities - after
fresh claims that the London club has already "secured" Steven Gerrard's
signature next season.
The latest claims, which are sure to infuriate Liverpool, emerged during
Ashley Cole's meeting with Premier League lawyer Nick Fitzpatrick
yesterday.
Fitzpatrick was discussing Cole's meeting with Mourinho in the Green
Room of the Royal Park Hotel, London, seven weeks ago.
During that meeting, Mourinho allegedly urged: "Hold on a minute. Stay
and listen to what we have to say.
"We are looking to sign just two players this season. The first one we
have secured is Steven Gerrard. The other is a left-back. You are the
best left-back in the world and we want you."
Cole says he turned up at the hotel, believed he was meeting his agent
Jonathan Barnett, and foreign agent Pini Zahavi to discuss potential
moves abroad.
But Mourinho and Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon 'gatecrashed' the
meeting.
Cole claims he got up to leave, leading to Mourinho's Gerrard claim.
Mourinho then added that Chelsea were willing to pay up to £25m for
Cole's signature and offer £110,000 per week.
Cole stood up and replied: "Thanks Mr Mourinho, but no thanks. I want to
go abroad. If I'm not playing for Arsenal, I don't want to play for
another English club."
The meeting is believed to have lasted no more than seven minutes.
Liverpool have consistently denied any deal with Chelsea - going to the
unusual lengths of calling a press conference in the summer with
Gerrard, to announce that the player was not leaving Liverpool.
Since then, Gerrard has regularly insisted no decision has been made on
his future - and his preferred option would be to remain at Anfield.
MARCH 6
RB: I'll never give up fight to keep Stevie
By Paul Rogers - LFC Official Website
Rafael Benitez has revealed how he'll never give up the fight to keep
hold of Steven Gerrard despite mounting speculation that the captain
will leave the club during the summer.
Benitez has always maintained that he wants to build a team around his
skipper and despite last weekend's pain in Cardiff, the Liverpool
manager insists nothing has changed in terms of his plans.
"The speculation isn't a distraction to me," he says. "All I want to say
to him is that we have confidence in him. I have a lot of confidence in
him, he knows that, and I am sure he will do well until the end of the
season. If we can win more games in the Champions League and also finish
in the top four of the Premiership then I am confident about Steven's
position.
"If we don't do that and Steven tells me he isn't happy at the end of
the season, I will not give up on him. I am a fighter and I will fight
to keep him. I will keep fighting until I can bring the things to this
club that will make him happy. People must remember that Steven has more
than two years left on his contract. That fact alone puts Liverpool in a
strong position. He wants to win things and win them with Liverpool.
"I always talk to Steven about my ideas for the future and he knows that
we want a strong team around him. It is difficult at the moment because
it is the first year and we have a lot of injuries, but he knows my
ideas. I am a fighter and I am fighting to keep him. The first thing is
to tell him we will build a strong team around him.
"Sometimes I have told him about players I am looking at because I want
him to understand we are working very hard for the present and the
future. When I decided to sign Fernando Morientes I asked Steve what he
thought. I asked him if he liked Morientes as a player and what he
thought he could bring to the team.
"When I was in Spain at Valencia I spoke to some of my key players about
what we would do. That is important and I have done that with Steve. We
are working now to bring in players in the summer. We have to watch them
all around the world because that is what others are doing. I don't want
tosay how many I am looking for, it is not the right time to talk about
that, but we are looking.
"My scouts have prepared a list of players in all the positions. It
depends what money we have. If we have not much money then we will have
to act quickly.
"Steven understands how important he is to us and he has a clear idea
about the things he wants. He wants to win with us and he will do the
best for his club and that's the most important thing.
FEBRUARY 15
Gerrard keen on
Owen link-up
ITV Football
Steven Gerrard has admitted he would be more than happy to link up with
former Liverpool team-mate Michael Owen if he decides to make a swift
return to the Premiership.
Reports have been linking the England striker with a move away from Real
Madrid after he failed to receive assurances that he could command a
regular first-team place at the Bernabeu.
Despite being the Spanish club's most predatory scorer with 11 goals in
all competitions, coach Wanderly Luxemburgo has insisted on persevering
with Ronaldo, rather than reward the 25-year-old.
Gerrard told Five Live: "Michael is world class.
"He is not getting many minutes on the field which is unfortunate
because he deserves to play more.
"His goals to games ratio is fantastic. I think the new manager will be
playing him more."
The Reds skipper added he would be delighted to play again with Owen in
the Premiership, saying: "Of course - I play with him at international
level.
"Michael is a fantastic player to play with although I am not sure what
decisions he is going to make in his career.
"I love playing with Michael, he is a fantastic footballer."
The England midfielder, who has been linked with a move to Chelsea, also
revealed his admiration for David Beckham - the man who some have tipped
Gerrard to replace as national team captain.
He said: "I have got a lot of respect for David Beckham as a person and
player.
"Every player goes through dips in form - you can't always play at your
highest level - I've had dips in form myself.
"But in his recent games he has been back at his best."
FEBRUARY 7
Parry puts
Gerrard 'above money'
By Phil McNulty, Chief football writer - BBC Sport Online
Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry has revealed they would turn
down a £50m bid for Steven Gerrard.
But Parry, speaking exclusively to BBC Sport, also admits Gerrard, who
has been constantly linked with Chelsea, will have the final say on his
future.
He told BBC Five Live: "Steven is above money. He is the future of
Liverpool.
"It doesn't matter if it's £30m, £40m or £50m, we will not accept
offers. But we are also realistic enough to know we can't keep Steven
against his will."
On the subject of Liverpool's finances, Parry also revealed the club is
ready to explore the possibility of a sponsorship deal for its proposed
new stadium.
And responding to criticism from BBC Sport pundit and former Liverpool
stalwart Alan Hansen, he insisted talks on new investment are ongoing,
but added the door has not closed on shareholder and lifelong fan Steve
Morgan.
Parry joined Liverpool as chief executive in July 1998 from a similar
role at the Premier League.
There have been several highs and lows during his time in charge at
Anfield - and he had a busy summer, overseeing the arrival of new
manager Rafael Benitez and managing to hold on to Steven Gerrard.
On the subject of Liverpool's captain and prize asset, Parry revealed
Real Madrid did ask for an option on the England midfield man during
negotiations for striker Fernando Morientes.
He said: "They were looking for ways of saying they got more out of the
deal for Fernando Morientes, but the response to Real Madrid was the
same - Steven is not for sale."
But when asked if Gerrard would be a Liverpool player on the first day
of next season, Parry said: "I sincerely hope he will be. Steven knows
my views. He knows Rafa's views.
"We have re-affirmed recently to Steven that we are trying to build a
team around him. We crave success as much as he does. We know he's
ambitious and nobody can argue with that.
"I think Steven would dearly love to win things with Liverpool more than
he'd like to do anything else.
"We all want to see progress by next season. He's not alone in that.
There are a lot of other players who feel the same, so we all have a
common aim."
It is expected Chelsea will test Liverpool with a £30m-plus bid in the
summer - but Parry claims he will be in no mood to listen.
"There have been a lot of open secrets about Steven, most of which have
been complete myths. It is suggested we had a deal tied up last summer.
We didn't had an offer last summer," Parry explained.
"We had told Chelsea that as far as we were concerned he was not for
sale and we didn't want to sell him. In reality it didn't go beyond
that.
"Maybe there will be an offer in the summer. Maybe there won't.
"Our position is we want Steven to stay, but we are also realistic
enough and have enough respect for Steven - and he has enough respect
for us - to know that it is his decision that will be crucial.
"You are not going to keep a player like Steven against his will. That
just doesn't work, but any idea we are going to accept offers for Steven
and then tell him 'by the way we've decided to sell you' is not on the
agenda. You can forget that."
Parry is currently in the process of finalising funding for Liverpool's
new stadium in Stanley Park, which is set to open in 2007.
And he confessed Arsenal's £100m deal with Emirates to sponsor their new
ground - complete with naming rights - has given the Anfield club
serious food for thought.
He said: "I have to say historically it is something I have been
against, and I have been on record as saying that, but I think the size
of the Arsenal deal is a real eye-opener.
"I would say in the past deals have been done frankly far too cheaply
and it just hasn't even been worth contemplating.
"But the Arsenal deal is the sort of deal that causes you to draw breath
and say 'wow - that's interesting.'
"My personal point of view is that I would find it a hell of a lot more
palatable than a shared stadium."
Some Liverpool fans would find such a move highly controversial, but
Parry countered: "I recognise it would be an emotive issue for many
supporters, but you look at the amount of money available and it could
go into the team.
"If it was the right partner how strong an issue is it? Time will tell.
"I think the stadium will always be Anfield, not least because of where
it is, but do we need to investigate the possibilities of sponsorship? I
think it would be remiss not to.
"That's not to say we have made a decision that we will go down that
road, but I think it is clearly something we have to explore."
On the subject of possible new investment, Parry revealed Liverpool are
still in negotiations with a mystery investor, with rumours of interest
from the Middle East.
That prompted the withdrawal of tycoon Steve Morgan, who got frustrated
by failed bids and what he claimed was indecision by the board.
He also accused Liverpool of using him as "a stalking horse" to attract
other bids, but Parry explained: "Steve has never been used as a
stalking horse. There's no need, and that is not the way we do business.
"We had discussions with Steve over the course of 2004. I think we came
close to concluding a deal in the summer but it didn't happen.
"Quite genuinely, the new interest did appear relatively late in the day
just prior to the AGM in December, and as I have said it was of such
potential magnitude, and that potential is so exciting, we felt we had
to evaluate it. We are still evaluating it.
"Steve's interest was taken very much on its own merits. His enthusiasm
for the club is there for all to see and who knows what the next few
months will hold?
"The door isn't closed on anything. We had a perfectly sensible dialogue
with Steve last year.
"We have a common interest in making Liverpool successful. That's a
dream we all share, so as far as I'm concerned the door is not closed."
