Steven Gerrard to leave Liverpool at end of season

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard will confirm on Friday that he is ending a 25-year association with his boyhood club.

The midfielder will announce he is leaving at the end of the season after deciding not to renew his contract, which runs out in July.

The ex-England skipper has not yet decided where his next destination will be but he wanted to remove any ambiguity over his future between now and the end of this summer.

It will be an amicable separation, despite the deep disappointment at Anfield that the 34-year-old has decided not to extend his Kop career.

It will be a devastating loss to manager Brendan Rodgers, but Liverpool supporters will also be reeling from the imminent departure of such an inspirational captain.

Gerrard has won every major honour at the club except the one he craved most - the Premier League title - and he always delivered on the biggest stage for his club.

He scored in the Uefa Cup Final, FA Cup Final, League Cup Final and, most famously, the Champions League Final, lifting the trophy in Istanbul. His goal against Olympiakos, to keep Liverpool in the tournament, in 2005 was probably his greatest, but he also virtually single-handedly ensured the side qualified for the tournament during the 2003-04 season.

The idea of seeing him in any other jersey is inconceivable, but on this occasion a fresh challenge abroad will tempt him. He will not play for another English team.

Credit: The Telegraph