Liverpool great Gerrard calls time on career

FORMER Liverpool and England captain Steven Gerrard a n nou nced h is ret i rement f rom professiona l footba l l yesterday at t he age of 36, ca lling time on an emblemat ic career.

Gerrard spent 17 years at his home-tow n club Liver pool, 12 as captain, and won seven major honours including the 2 0 0 5 C h a mpion s L e a g ue before f i nish i ng his ca reer with an 18-month stint at L A Gala x y.

“Following recent media speculation surrounding my future, I can confirm my retirement from playing professional football,” Gerrard said in a statement.

“I have had an incredible career and am thankful for each and every moment of my time at Liverpool, England and LA Galaxy.”

Although the Premier League title famously eluded him, Gerrard did win two FA Cups, three League Cups, the UEFA Cup, UEFA Super Cup and the Community Shield.

His f i nest hou r c a me i n Istanbul in May 2005, when he inspired Liverpool to come f rom 3-0 dow n aga i nst AC Mi la n at ha l f-t i me of t he Champions Leag ue f ina l to win t he club’s f ift h European Cup.

In total he made 710 appearances for Liverpool, the thirdh i g he s t t ot a l beh i nd Ia n Callaghan and former teammate Jamie Carragher, scoring 186 goals.

Gerrard made 114 appearances for England, a tally bet- tered only by Peter Shilton, Wayne Rooney and David Beckham, and scored 21 international goals.

He appeared at six major tournaments, captaining England at the 2010 World Cup, Euro 2012 and the 2014 World Cup.

“I feel lucky to have experienced so many wonderful highlights over the course of my career,” Gerrard said.

“I am proud to have played over 700 games for Liverpool, many of which as captain, and to have played my part in helping the club to bring major honours back to Anfield, none more so than that famous night in Istanbul.

“At an internationa l level, I feel pr iv i leged to have won 114 England caps and to have had the honour of captaining my countr y. I will always look back with great pride at ever y time I pulled on the England shirt.”

Ger ra rd ha s been l i n ked wit h a coaching role at Liverpool, a s wel l a s Celt ic a nd Newc a s t le Un it e d, where for mer Liver pool managers Brendan Rodgers and Rafael Benitez respectively work.

He is reported to have turned down an approach from English third-tier side Milton Keynes Dons and said he would take his time before announcing his next move.

“I am excited about the future and feel I still have a lot to offer the game, in whatever capacity that may be,” he said.

“I am currently taking my time to consider a number of options and will make an announcement with regards to the next stage of my career very soon.”