Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is likely to leave the Reds at the end of the English Premier League season, as his contract is up and now he is free to speak with other clubs and early on teams like the LA Galaxy, New York Red Bulls and other MLS teams could be interested in signing the star.
According to Pro Soccer Talk and numerous media reports, Gerrard is set to depart Liverpool when this season is over and that would end a two decade run with the club. This news is not a major surprise, as many wrote about the possibility of Gerrard leaving after this season, but many players said to the BBC that the move was "shocking." Gerrard has scored 180 goals for the team in nearly 700 games played and he has been with the team for many of their triumphs and tough defeats.
Liverpool and Gerrard have a deep history and the captain was with the team as they won the UEFA Cup, multiple FA Cups, League Cups as well as one Community Shield and the Champions League. The 34-year-old has the skills to play at a high level but this season he has not started all the games for Liverpool, including in the Champions League matchup with Real Madrid. Gerrard has said that he will not sign with another Premier League team, but that could change as time goes on.
The BBC reports that Major League Soccer is very interested in bringing over Gerrard, with the New York Red Bulls and Los Angeles Galaxy considered the favorites. The two teams have experience bringing over Premier League stars to the United States, as David Beckham and Thierry Henry have played for the franchises. An executive from the Houston Dynamo said that every team in the MLS would like to sign Gerrard and that means he will surely get attention from the league.
Liverpool is currently eighth on the English Premier League table and they have had an up and down season overall compared to last year. The Reds finished second in the EPL last season to Manchester City and they are looking to get back into the mix this year after falling into the middle of the pack. The team got off to a slow start this season and also fell out of the Champions League. The team comes in after a draw on New Years and they have matchups coming against Everton, Tottenham and Aston Villa before playing Manchester City later in March.
According to the BBC: Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said: "It is almost an impossible task to find the words to appropriately sum up Steven Gerrard and his importance to Liverpool. "This is an era where the word 'legend' is vastly overused, but in his case it actually doesn't do him justice."