Outgoing Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has said that a bit part role at Liverpool has left him lacking the ‘buzz’ he usually thrives on.
The former England captain confirmed in January that he would be moving to the Major League Soccer to join the Los Angeles Galaxy on an 18 month contract.
Gerrard, now 34, has made only 23 starts in the Premier League this season as manager Brendan Rodgers looks forward to the future without his influential captain.
Speaking ahead of his last 2 games for Liverpool, Gerrard said:
“I think the signs this year were that I’m going to become a squad player, play less.
“I’m going to come on as a sub and the buzz changes. It’s not a selfish thing; coming on as a sub is just not the same buzz so things have changed this year.
“When a manager gets you into the office and says that’s going to change and it’s going to become more limited — that’s when you make your decision.
“For me, I go to work on a Monday morning and I look forward to Saturday, to prepare to go to battle with some wonderful people — with good mates — and that’s my buzz.”
Rodgers and the Liverpool management have a task up their sleeves as they look to replace Gerrard who has been a leading figure in the Anfield dressing room for the past decade and half.
Gerrard however added that he was hopeful that the club’s owners would invest sufficiently as Liverpool look to recover from a disappointing season which has seen them miss out on the Champions League, as well as losing in the semifinals of the FA Cup to Aston Villa.
“Hopefully the owners will dig deep so the squad can be strengthened with the quality needed to bring more good times in the future,” he said.
