Steven Gerrard Would Be Right to Leave Liverpool Now
By Douglas Smith
@DFresh39
Getty Images
Multiple sources in England have revealed that Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is set to leave his boyhood Premier League club at the end of this season. He was offered another contract but has seen less playing time. His decision to look abroad, with MLS as the favorite to land the midfielder, makes sense so that he can control the way his career ends. Gerrard can surely contribute to any MLS side. Perhaps more importantly, the league will provide him a good setting for his young family. Leaving Liverpool this summer makes sense for Gerrard.
The 34-year-old player is set to announce his plans on Friday so that constant questions of his future are not a distraction to the team. After scoring two penalty kick goals on New Year’s Day, Gerrard is prepared to announce an end to his 16-year career at Anfield. Brendan Rodgers would have liked to keep Gerrard around but his form has dipped, which resulted in more time on the bench this year. When Rodgers left Gerrard out of the squad against Real Madrid in a Champions League match, the relationship between the two was strained. This comes on the heels of falling short of his first Premier League title in 2013-14 with a late-season mishap.
Out of respect to Liverpool, Gerrard will not sign with another Premier League team and the U.S. makes the most sense. His family will play a big part in his next move. His wife Alex and their three kids, one as young as two years old, must be comfortable. With the Los Angeles Galaxy and New York Red Bulls interested, they would be looking at a move to a big city. This may make the family more comfortable than other possible MLS destinations. Once the initial media buzz dies they will not face the same attention they do in England, which is likely seen as a benefit.
Leaving Liverpool now will allow Gerrard to be celebrated through the end of the season. There will be no shots of a solemn Gerrard on the bench at Anfield. He can go out on his terms at Liverpool and keep playing in MLS. He will be remembered for a multitude of contributions and continue as an ambassador for Liverpool.
Douglas Smith is a soccer writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @DFresh39, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.
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