Gerrard signs up for the long haul
LONDON — Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has signed a new long-term contract with the Premier League club which will almost certainly take him through to the end of his career.
But neither Liverpool nor Gerrard, 31, said how long the contract was for.
The England midfielder, who made his debut for Liverpool as an 18-yearold in November 1998, has played 566 matches for the club and scored 144 goals including the penalty in Wednesday night’s 1-0 win over Manchester City in the their League Cup semifinal first leg. He has also played 89 times for England, scoring 19 goals.
“I’m very happy. It’s a very proud day for myself and my family,” he said.
Gerrard’s a one-club man who led Liverpool to a dramatic Champions League final victory over AC Milan in 2005. He has also won the FA Cup twice, the League Cup twice and the UEFA Cup.
Break for Canucks
The Canadian soccer champion is guaranteed to move into the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League after the regional governing body altered the tournament’s format on Thursday.
Concacaf eliminated the preliminary round, which means all 24 teams which qualify for the competition will reach the group stage. In previous years, the Canadian champion needed to play their way into that phase of the tournament.
“This new format will streamline the first phase of the competition,” CONCACAF’S acting general secretary said. “It will alleviate schedule congestion on both domestic and international calendars.”