Liverpool set to offer Steven Gerrard a new contract

Brendan Rodgers has revealed Liverpool are set to offer Steven Gerrard a new contract, according to the Telegraph.

The Liverpool skipper has been criticised for some below-par performances this season, but Rodgers says the club are still set to offer the 34-year-old an extension to his current deal.

Gerrard fired a trademark free kick during the Merseyside derby to silence some critics, and Rodgers reckons there is plenty more to come from the former England captain.

When asked if Gerrard should be appreciated for every moment he plays before retirement, Rodgers replied: “I certainly will and anyone who works closely with him should.

“Some of the criticism he is taking shows you the level he is playing. Teams deem him worthy to be man-marked. It shows you the influence of his game.

“It [the contract] is something we are looking at as a club and with him and how he feels. He is still in a real good physical condition. He’s 34 years old, never needs a day’s rest, and this is a genuine superstar – a world-class player – who has performed consistently for so many years. This country has not produced too many of them.”

Gerrard is set to lead Liverpool out in Basel tonight, a ground which was the venue for what he described as one of the lowest points in his Liverpool career.

Back in 2002, Gerrard was substituted at half time for Salif Diao with the Reds trailing 3-0. They staged a second half fight back to draw 3-3 without him, and Gerrard felt he had been made the scapegoat for the teams failure to qualify by former boss Gerard Houllier.

Gerrard said later in his career it was a moment he learnt from and came back from stronger, and his current boss agrees with that assessment.

“He had an experience that night that really helped him going forward in his career,” said Rodgers. “He had a fantastic relationship with Gérard Houllier, and as a young player at that level he learned very early on that you need to perform and prepare. I know he benefited from it.”