Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has warned the American owners in Boston telling them that serious money will have to be spent in order to find a world-class international to replace him at Anfield.
Rodgers is a firm believer in promoting young talent, but with the loss of Jamie Carragher, Luis Suarez and now Steven Gerrard, the Northern Irishman knows he cannot just rely on players coming through the ranks.
The following interview was carried out by the Guardian newspaper.
“The model at this football club is clear, we want to take young players and develop them into world-class ones, but that can be a long and a difficult process,” the Liverpool manager said. “The owners know that, and they also know that not every player can be a developer if you are going to keep progressing. A large part of our squad will always be young players, but if you want to take those steps forward at times you have to look to bring in some ready-made players.”
Former Liverpool player and now Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher claims the club should have done more to keep Gerrard suggesting that they could have promised him a coaching role.
“I’ve had plenty of conversations with Steven this season and he’s never told me he felt unhappy,” Rodgers said. “We wanted to keep him at the club, he’s been a brilliant captain for me and we offered him a deal, but he wanted the chance to experience something different. Our communication is very open so I was aware what he was thinking and I also knew the turmoil he was in because of his unique situation. You see other players stay at one club all their careers but not too many who support Liverpool and still live where they come from, virtually five minutes round the corner.”
Gerrard admitted it was a tough decision to make, but says the realization that he would no longer be an automatic starter was what made his mind up to leave.
“There was more than one moment that made me come to this decision, but I think the key conversation or moment was with the manager when he sat me down not so long ago and said it was time to manage my games for me and for the team,” Gerrard told the club’s website.
“I’m bright enough to realise it is the right thing for everyone, but when you’ve been a starter and a mainstay in the team for such a long time, it was a very difficult conversation to have. I accept it and I’ll continue to give everything I’ve got, whether I’m starting, coming off the bench or whatever, but that was the key conversation.
“I had an idea it was going to come at some time – I’m a human, not a robot. I’m not 24. I wish I was 24, I wish I’d met Brendan when I was 24 because I’d be sitting here talking about a lot of titles that we’d won together. The reality is, Brendan came into this club when I was 32 years of age and it’s a shame that relationship didn’t start 10 years ago.
“I had an idea the conversation was going to come at some time, but it was still a painful one to have.”
The Reds boss said he thought Gerrard was right to extend his playing career in the MLS and explained why he was not offered a coaching role at Anfield.
“That did not form part of our conversations because he hasn’t got his badges yet and Steven isn’t the type who would go into coaching blind,” he said. “At the moment he still wants to play, and coaching and management is not something you can just click your fingers and walk into. It takes two or three years to get your eye in, it’s a pressure situation if you haven’t been accustomed to it, and it is not something that always comes naturally or instantly.
“A footballer like Steven has only known the elite level for well over a decade. If you become a coach or a manager you are working with a different type of player, not everyone can reach the elite level and you need to make an adjustment. I am sure Steven would put in the hard work and commitment should he ever make that decision, because that’s the kind of guy he is, but it is not something that ought to be rushed into.
“His focus is very much on the present, he believes he can play on beyond this season, and there will be plenty of years ahead of him to go into coaching. Time will tell but I don’t see any reason why he couldn’t become a top manager.”
Gerrard added that he was still focused on Liverpool and hoped that they could get a top-four finish and perhaps win a domestic Cup.
“We’ve still got a chance of finishing in the top four and that’s the most important thing for the club, for obvious reasons,” he said. “But from a selfish point of view, it’s always a trophy and it’s always medals, for me.
“That’s what people remember and that’s what the club is all about. It’s about success and history. The day you make your debut for this club, the pressure and the responsibility is on your shoulders to keep delivering trophies to add to that wonderful history. I’ve lived with that for so long and I’ll live with it for another six months.
“I’m really proud of what I’ve done here and hopefully I can write a few more chapters with the team from now to the end. But the last game and the last couple of training sessions are going to be torture, because it’s so tough to say goodbye. Hopefully it’s more of a ‘see you soon’.”
