Liverpool players have joined forces to plead with captain Steven Gerrard to stay with the club beyond the current season, according to the Guardian.
Gerrard is out of contract at the end of the 2014-15 campaign, and is yet to announce whether he will agree to the new deal being put forward by the Reds.
Gerrard celebrated the 16th anniversary of his Liverpool debut when coming off the bench during Saturday’s 1-0 win over Stoke City, and also scored and produced a man of the match performance in the 1-3 win over Leicester City in midweek.
His performance has prompted the likes of Rickie Lambert and Jordan Henderson to come out and say they are desperate to see the 34-year-old sign an extension at the club.
“After years of watching him I am enjoying playing with him and long may it continue,” said Lambert. “I think I am speaking for everyone involved in Liverpool when I say that we are desperate to keep Stevie. It’s clear that it’s his decision and the club’s decision but I think he needs to stay at Liverpool for the rest of his life. That’s just my opinion. He has got more than enough in the tank. He is still one of the best players around for me. Obviously he is not going to play every single game but he showed against Leicester what he can do.”
Henderson, who has scored twice in three games to help ease the pressure on Rodgers, explained that Gerrard’s influence exceeds what is seen on the pitch. The Liverpool vice-captain said: “Everyone has got a lot of respect for him. He leads by example. He is a top player but he is also a top person. The lads can go to him with anything. He will always help them out and put them first. That is massive as a captain. Everyone gets on really well with him. If he was to go, he would be a massive loss. Hopefully it doesn’t come to that.
“With the aura that he has got, he could be a different person. But he is very grounded, very humble. Every single member of the squad hopes he stays for many years to come. It is down to him, the club and his representatives to sort it out. He is huge for us and we need to keep him for as long as we can. Liverpool without Steven Gerrard is unimaginable. Nobody wants to lose him and I’m sure the club feel that way as well.”
