Steven Gerrard opens up on Liverpool exit regret with Jurgen Klopp admission
Steven Gerrard has admitted that he would have stayed at Liverpool had he known Jurgen Klopp was on the way to the club.
The iconic midfielder enjoyed a hugely successful 17-year spell at the club. He left in 2015 after over 700 appearances for the Merseyside outfit - winning the Champions League and a host of other trophies in that time.
Gerrard’s glittering spell with Liverpool was brought to an emotional end with a move to MLS outfit LA Galaxy. However, he has since admitted that he was actually offered another contract by the Reds. The midfielder’s need for game time eventually led to him making the decision to leave.
Gerrard conceded that he would have reversed that call to leave if he'd known at the time that Klopp was shortly going to take the reins from Brendan Rodgers. In a video shared by The Anfield Wrap on TikTok, he said: “I was devastated. I obviously made a decision not to sign a year extension to go to America, whereas if I’d have took the extension, I might have got six months under the guidance of Jurgen Klopp.
“But obviously being under Brendan’s management at the time, I was told my game time was going to get less and less. I didn’t want to be a sub for Liverpool, I didn’t want to be a squad player.
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“I still felt I was the best midfielder there at the time. But in hindsight, if I’d have knew what was going to come off, 100 percent I’d have signed the year extension and I’d have put up with four or five months of Brendan to get six months of Klopp for sure.”
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Whilst Gerrard has admitted that he did not want to be a substitute under former boss Rodgers at Anfield, he said he would have actually been tempted to fill that role under Klopp.
He added: “Let me tell you now, I’d have been Jurgen Klopp’s best sub because my style and his style how I played and what he was after from players in terms of pressing and going for teams and being aggressive, I could have given him that for 15-20 minutes, 30 minutes, 45, maybe once every couple of weeks. I could’ve given him that for six months and beyond. I’d have made myself give that.”
Following his spell at Liverpool, Gerrard spent a season-and-a-half with MLS side LA Galaxy. He went on to make 39 appearances for the side, scoring five goals before deciding to hang up his boots.
Since then, the now 43-year-old has embarked on his coaching career, initially taking up a role with the academy back at Liverpool before moving to Rangers and winning the Scottish Premiership.
Gerrard endured a tricky spell with Aston Villa before making the decision to move to Saudi Arabia as Al-Ettifaq boss. He has since tempted a number of former Liverpool players to move to the Gulf state including ex-Reds captain Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum.
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