Departing Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard to join MLS team LA Galaxy: report

LIVERPOOL captain Steven Gerrard will reportedly join LA Galaxy on an 18-month deal believed to be worth $A9.74million.

Gerrard to join LA Galaxy: report

LIVERPOOL captain Steven Gerrard will reportedly join LA Galaxy on an 18-month deal believed to be worth $US9million ($A9.74million).

ESPN reports the Major League Soccer club will add Gerrard to their midfield at the end of the English Premier League season following the retirement of Galaxy star Landon Donovan.

The news comes after Gerrard confirmed on Saturday he would join a team in the United States when he leaves Anfield.

Gerrard during the UEFA Champions League in 2006.

Gerrard, 34, announced on Friday he decided to depart Liverpool after a 25-year association that has yielded 695 first-team appearances and 180 goals.

“I’ll be going to play in America,” he told Liverpool’s in-house television channel, LFC TV. “But I’m not over the line with any team just yet. I’m close and as soon as I know, I’ll make the announcement.” Media reports in Britain had suggested Gerrard would follow in the footsteps of former England colleague David Beckham by joining the Galaxy.

Gerrard celebrating after scoring against West Ham during the FA Cup final in 2006.

Gerrard said he had been through an “emotional” 24 hours since announcing his decision but kept the door open on a return to Liverpool at some point in the future.

“People will have their own opinions on it, but for me I think come the summer, it will be the right time to move on and try something different,” he said.

“The last game and the last couple of training sessions are going to be torture, because it’s so tough to say ‘goodbye’. But hopefully it’s more of a ‘see you soon’ rather than a ‘goodbye’.” Gerrard said that the reality of his decision had hit home when he informed his three daughters “their dad wasn’t going to play for Liverpool anymore”, saying it “hit them pretty hard”.

But he vowed to do everything in his power to go out on a high. “I’ll be here until the end and I’ll keep fighting until the final ball I kick. I’d love nothing better than to try to win a trophy and leave the team in the top four.” Gerrard memorably led Liverpool to glory in the 2005 Champions League final against AC Milan, when he inspired his team to come back from 3-0 down and win on penalties in Istanbul.

He has also won two FA Cups, three League Cups and the UEFA Cup, but has never lifted the Premier League trophy, famously slipping in a match against Chelsea last season to hand Manchester City the initiative in the title race.

But recently his performances have struggled to reach the formidable levels of his peak years and manager Brendan Rodgers decided to manage his match-time to protect him from fatigue. While the 34-year-old Gerrard understood the decision, it was a conversation that told him the time was right to continue his career elsewhere.

“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 with the manager,” Gerrard admitted.

“I had an idea it was going to come at some time — I’m a human, not a robot.”

Originally published as Departing Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard to join MLS team LA Galaxy: report