Gerrard set to sign new contract

Steven Gerrard drove into Liverpool’s Melwood training ground this afternoon hoping to finally get the chance to pledge his future to the Anfield outfit.

Barely 24 hours after Gerrard had informed Red’s chief executive Rick Parry of his intention to leave, he is now expected to sign a four-year contract and complete an extraordinary and unexpected u-turn.

Twelve months ago, Gerrard found himself in a similar situation when it was widely believed he would sign for Chelsea.

This morning, the 25-year-old woke up in his Merseyside home and once again had second thoughts over a career which looked set to send him to Stamford Bridge by the end of the week.

He informed Parry of his decision to stay this morning and has now pledged never to put the loyal supporters who barracked him into a similar situation again.

“The last five or six weeks were the hardest of my life because I wrongly believed theclub did not want me,” he told the Liverpool Echo.

“I do not want to get into attaching blame to anyone. If I blame anyone it is myself.

“I wanted my future sorting out as soon as possible after the Champions League final but the longer it went on the more misunderstandings there were.

“I will be signing a deal, maybe even today. This will not happen again next summer or ever again as far as I’m concerned.”

This is the latest twist in an amazing six weeks since Liverpool lifted the European Cup with their amazing triumph over AC Milan in Istanbul.

At the time, Gerrard said he could not leave but with no contract offer forthcoming, he slowly started to believe his future lay elsewhere.

Supporters gathering outside Melwood this morning remained sceptical over Gerrard’s motives, with one even hanging a “Judas” banner from the training ground wall.

However, by lunchtime attitudes towards the Reds skipper had softened as when Gerrard drove into the complex as most of his team-mates were leaving following a training session he had been given permission to miss, the cheers were loud and long.

Whether such a welcome would be afforded to his agent Struan Marshall is debatable.

Most supporters believe Marshall to be the instigator of Gerrard’s discontent, although the Huyton-born midfield player absolved him of any blame.

“I feel I must defend my agent Struan Marshall in this,” he said.

“He has taken a lot of stick but all along he has never done anything I did not ask him to.

“He is well respected at Liverpool and has done deals for me and other players in the past. He has conducted himself in the right way.

“He is a big factor in my decision to stay.

“I have committed my long-term future to the club and now I just want all this speculation to end – that is what I wanted all along.”