Saturday 3 January 2015 10:57, UK
Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool should have done more to persuade Steven Gerrard to stay at the club.
Gerrard has announced he will be leaving at the end of the season after a 17-year professional career at Anfield.
America and the MLS looks the likely destination for the 34-year-old and Carragher, whose own Liverpool career shadowed that of his great friend, thinks the club may live to regret the decision.
“I think that along with every Liverpool supporter I am sad that eventually it has come to this,” said the Sky Sports pundit.
“But it happens to all the great players of the past and there will be great players in the future. It has to come to an end someday.
“But from the club’s point of view, I am surprised. It was Stevie’s decision, but could the club have maybe done a little bit more? Maybe spoken about a coaching role in the future to try to entice him to stay?”
“No one should have a job at a club for life just because of what they have done as a player. But to lose that experience at the club which could be passed on to the youngsters and academy players, from the club’s and supporters’ point of view I would have liked to have seen him stay in some capacity.”
Sky Sports News HQ understands Gerrard is in talks with LA Galaxy as well as the two New York clubs – City and Red Bulls – ahead of a possible move across the Atlantic.
And despite Brendan Rodgers’ decision to give the midfielder a less prominent role in recent months, Carragher feels he still can still feature at the top of the game.
“He can still offer something,” he added. “He has had moments this season – the free-kicks against Everton and Basel in the Champions League, the last-minute penalty he took in the Champions League as well.
“So he has still had his moments and he will continue to do so wherever he may play his football, because he is a fantastic player with a fantastic ability.
“No player is the same at that age, but he has still got wonderful technical gifts, his passing and shooting range, you will see less of them now but they will still be there.”
Gerrard has won the Champions League, UEFA Cup, FA Cup and League Cup with Liverpool and is the only Englishman to have scored in the final of all four.
His inspirational display in the Reds’ memorable comeback against AC Milan 10 years ago stands out in the memory of Carragher, who believes that epitomised the midfielder’s importance.
“His second-half and extra-time performance in Istanbul and his performance in Cardiff 12 months later in 2006 stand out,” he said. “You would never say that one player single-handedly wins a trophy, but he almost did on both occasions.
“In Istanbul it was a miracle really what happened, but he was at the forefront of that. 12 months later in Cardiff he created the first goal with a 40-yard pass and then scored two goals – not just any goals, but two wonder goals.
“Then he scores a penalty in the penalty shoot-out. And it is rightly known as the Gerrard final.
“He has plenty of highlights. He has played nearly 700 games now for Liverpool. There are plenty of highlights, goals, big goals.
“But to do it on the biggest stage, an FA or Champions League final, that is what he is about – big moments at big times and that is what the special players do.”
