[lfc-news] We want Stevie here for life - Echo

Liverpool Echo, 4 July 2005
We want Stevie here for life
By Chris Bascombe, Liverpool Echo

RAFAEL BENITEZ this afternoon made an impassioned plea to torn skipper
Steven Gerrard to step back from the brink and said: "We want you at
Anfield for life."

Gerrard's representatives from agents SFX have pulled out of discussions
over a lucrative new four-year deal claiming the

Reds have delayed too long because they're trying to engineer his departure.

Those accusations were today strongly denied by Liverpool officials who
still hope the damage of a weekend of chaos is a spat that can be
quickly repaired.

Benitez, speaking at a Press conference to confirm new signings Bolo
Zenden and Jose Reina, said: "We tried last season three times to talk
about a new contract and he said he wanted to wait until the end of the
season.

" Then we lifted the most important trophy in Europe. We have signed the
best player in the middle of the team, the best goalkeeper in Spain, and
the best young player in Chile.

"We have improved the team to make a better challenge for next season.

"I can assure all our fans we want Steven to stay with us.

"If I renew my deal at Liverpool for another four years on top of my
current contract I would like Steven to become my assistant manager and
after that become the next manager of Liverpool.

"I want him to stay with us for the rest of his life."

Gerrard arrived at Melwood today amid growing concerns he's ready to
quit Anfield.

Anfield chief executive Rick Parry remains optimistic face-to-face
discussions can yet resolve the baffling deadlock between a player who
wants to stay at the club he loves - and a club who insist they want to
keep him.

"Rafa wants Stevie to stay. We still hope this situation is repairable,"
said Parry.

"We're completely surprised by the reports this morning having made it
clear since January we wanted to talk to Steven about a new contract.
For anyone to make an issue of a delay of just a few days makes no
sense. When we met on Wednesday things were fine.

"We have wanted to keep Steven all along.

"Money is not an issue. There are no financial concerns regarding
Steven's contract."

Manager Benitez is understood to be furious at accusations he's
engineered a possible transfer.

He and Gerrard were involved in private discussions on Saturday, but
reports of a 'blazing training ground row' have angered the manager.

Liverpool may yet decide to keep Gerrard, even if Chelsea and Real
Madrid make their expected approach over the next few days.

The 25-year-old has two years left on his contract.

However, the most likely outcome is the sale of the captain.

The row over Gerrard today over-shadowed the arrival of Zenden, who
comes on a Bosman free transfer from Middlesbrough, and Reina, bought
for £6m from Villarreal.

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