The EPL Liverpool link behind Errol Gulden’s rejection of monster deal to re-sign with Sydney Swans

He was offered a whopping 10-year deal by a rival club, but Swans young gun Errol Gulden turned to inspiration from EPL club Liverpool to re-sign with the Swans.

Errol Gulden has a clear goal of winning multiple premierships with the Swans now his future is secure. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Errol Gulden has hinted at the fact he took less money to stay at the Swans as he revealed Sydney’s off-contract players have had conversations about keeping the core group together to try and create a premiership dynasty at the club.

The Swans announced that Gulden had signed a four-year contract extension on Wednesday that will take him through to free agency in 2028.

The 21-year-old wingman attracted plenty of rival interest, including a 10-year deal reportedly from the Adelaide Crows, but he emphasised his belief that he wanted to remain part of the group building at the Swans.

Gulden was the second major re-signing for the Swans this month after James Rowbottom also agreed to a new four-year deal. However, Sydney is still negotiating to keep Logan McDonald, Ollie Florent and restricted free agent Will Hayward at the club, among others.

It’s set to be tough for the Swans to keep all three of their emerging stars, but Gulden felt there was a sense of the players buying into something more than money.

Gulden is confident the Swans will be able to keep all their off-contract stars together. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“I just want to win as many premierships as I can,” Gulden said. “If we can win four or five premierships in that period of time, I’ll be pretty happy.

“We all understand that in football at the end of the day, you have to look after yourself to some degree as well. I think we will all be looked after fairly when that decision comes.

“But at the end of the day, all of us really want to have team success. That’s why we play footy and that was the key driver in my decision. When I’m finished my career, I want to look back and say I was able to play in premierships.

“Sometimes we might have to sacrifice a little bit of money, but I think looking into the future if we’re able to have a really successful career in terms of team success, I don’t think there will be any regrets from anyone.

“We all have so much faith in one another and a lot of belief in what we can build and what we can achieve. If we can keep this core group together and keep pushing each other to improve every day, I think the sky’s the limit for us.”

A diehard football fan, Gulden admitted he drew motivation from some of his Liverpool heroes growing up in sticking true to the Swans.

As a local Academy product, he likes the idea of continuing to ply his trade for the club that invested time and money into him since he was 11 years old, and as a result, he never entertained leaving.

The Sydney wingman compared his situation to Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard. Picture: Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP

“I think the obvious one is Steven Gerrard,” Gulden said.

“He had big deals from Chelsea and things like that. But he stayed with Liverpool and won the Champions League in 2005.

“It’s not quite at the same level (of pressure) as Stevie G would have been under. But I do look for inspiration from guys like that and Trent Alexander-Arnold, he’s from Liverpool, born and raised through the academy and stuff.

“I’d be pretty flat if any of them ever left so I can’t be a hypocrite.”

While Gulden said he thought about asking the Swans to match the 10-year deal that was offered to him, he didn’t like the idea of having the next decade of his life locked away.

Gulden has challenged himself to get even better which is why he only signed a four-year deal. Picture: Phil Hillyard

It’s also set to challenge the 21-year-old to improve his game even further, a task that will prove difficult after finishing equal-fourth in last year’s Brownlow Medal count in just his third season.

“I’m only 21 and the thought of a 10-year deal, it’s almost half my life,” Gulden said.

“To lock myself away for that period of time was probably something I didn’t want to do in the end.

“I think four years was the right amount of time for me. It keeps me on edge enough to want to keep playing good footy and getting better every day. But it also locks me away for four years and gives me a bit of security.”

Originally published as The EPL Liverpool link behind Errol Gulden’s rejection of monster deal to re-sign with Sydney Swans