Gerrard & Carragher extend deals

Dmac

Gerrard & Carragher extend deals



Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard and defender Jamie Carragher have agreed new deals which will run until 2011.

Midfielder Gerrard, 27, said: "The negotiations have gone really smoothly. I'm pleased to get it out of the way and we can look forward to next season.

"Hopefully over the next four years we can deliver a lot more trophies."

Carragher, 29, added: "I am very pleased. Obviously we are both local lads and I've always said I wanted to stay here for the rest of my career."

The pair have spent their entire professional careers at Anfield and as well as manager Rafael Benitez, American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks also stated their desire to tie the homegrown pair to long-term deals.

Gerrard is now hoping the Reds can go on to the next level and transfer their recent excellent record in European on to the domestic scene.

Having won the Champions League against AC Milan two seasons ago, they lost a re-match in the final in Athens.

But the Reds have repeatedly failed to mount a serious challenge on the home front.

They finished 21 points adrift of Manchester United in the Premiership last season, and have not claimed the domestic title since 1990.

"I think these are exciting times at the football club with the takeover and the new stadium," added Gerrard.

"We have both signed for four years and I am sure they are going to be four exciting years.

"I don't see why we can't go from strength to strength and win a load more trophies, not just the Premiership but more cups as well.

"Having said that, we can't get away from the fact that the Premiership is the one we want."

Carragher is equally buoyant about the future and hopes to see out his career on Merseyside.

"Hopefully I've got one more (contract) left in me that will take me until the end of my career," he added.

"I have signed for four years and hopefully I can still be a regular in the team. That's the aim anyway."

Credit - BBC Sport

May I just be the first to say, thank fuck for that.

God

Super Moderator

If they go Liverpool will be entering the intertoto cup. I wonder how many points they got Liverpool last season.

Dmac

Daren you make it sound like we are totally reliant on them, I could easily say that if you lose Henry you will be entering the Intertoto cup but that's not how it is, one/two players can't determine the fate of a full team, they simply just improve a team.

God

Super Moderator

We lost Henry for most of the season and we still finished 4th, 3 more goals and we would have finished third. Take out Gerrard and Carragher, Liverpool are not the same team. If you lose them to injury you'll realise how reliant on the you are. Like Chelsea did when they lost Terry, if they had lost Drogba aswell, they were not going to challange Utd.

All the top teams have the 2 or 3 players that makes them a top team. For Arsenal its Henry and Fabregas, Chelsea, Terry, Lampard and Drogba, Utd, Ronaldo and Scholes. For Liverpool its Gerrard and Carragher. Without them for a whole season, any of those teams could finish outside the top 4, maybe even top 6.

Dmac

Umm I wouldn't say Scholes, they missed him for like half a season not the season just gone but the one before and they still finished 2nd