SOCCER: Steven Gerrard is to commit his future to Liverpool for a further four years after performing a barely credible U-turn yesterday by rejecting a potential move to Chelsea.
The London club's manager Jose Mourinho believed Gerrard was effectively a Chelsea player late on Tuesday evening, only for the 25-year-old to change his mind overnight, just as he did a year ago, and decide instead to remain at Anfield. The England midfielder is understood to have agonised into the small hours of yesterday morning and, after a sleepless night, finally opted against leaving the club he joined at the age of eight.
The player's agent, Struan Marshall of SFX, telephoned the Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry - who had just pulled into the car park at Anfield - at around 8.30am yesterday to inform him of his client's decision.
Gerrard will put pen to paper on a four-year contract worth £100,000-a-week tomorrow, though the implications of his latest rejection of Chelsea's advances effectively means he has committed himself to Liverpool for life.
"This won't be happening again next summer or ever again, as far as I'm concerned," he said. "I've committed my long-term future to the club. That is what I've wanted all along. The last six weeks were the hardest of my life because I wrongly believed the club didn't want me. But I feel there is a weight off my mind now and I just want us to put this mess behind us.
"I've only one medal left to win at Liverpool and that's the Premiership. That's what I want more than anything and Liverpool is the only place I've ever wanted to win it."
Gerrard was excused training yesterday, but did travel to Melwood in the afternoon to meet Rafael Benitez, Parry and the club's chairman David Moores. He offered to resign the captaincy of the club - "It would have broken my heart to have lost it, but I thought it was right to make that offer" - though Benitez, having consulted with some of the senior players, asked him to retain the armband.
Indeed, he will captain the side in Saturday's pre-season friendly at Wrexham ahead of next week's Champions League qualifier against Total Network Solutions.
Parry and Moores spent just under two hours in the England midfielder's company discussing the future before Gerrard was driven home, his black 4x4 briefly held up at the gate as a gaggle of delighted supporters barred its passage. He is due to report back for training today.
"The whole thing will be sorted out in the next day or so, but this is very welcome news," said the chief executive. "We are all absolutely delighted. Last night it did look as though it was going the other way, so we are really thrilled, but I am sure now he is going to stay for good.
"I just think that, when it came down to it, he could not leave. He's found it complicated, but, deep down, it was always a difficult decision for him to say he wanted to go. His commitment is complete now. There have been similarities with last year, but this period has been more intense this time."
Chelsea will recognise the sense of rejection, having experienced it last summer when a deal worth £125,000 a week was spurned. For Gerrard, the priority has switched to repairing an occasionally strained relationship with Benitez.
Although talk of training- ground spats has been exaggerated, the pair have not always seen eye to eye and there have been heated discussions over the last week. Gerrard, so used to life under the Spaniard's predecessor Gerard Houllier, met his manager to hold clear-the-air talks yesterday in an attempt to avoid a repeat of this week's events.
"My relationship with Steven is fine and always has been," said Benitez. "I am sure now that it will be even better. It's important that we received this good news and it has come as a boost for everyone at the club. I am sure Steve will be more focused on his club and on the games now that his contract is sorted out. It will be a better situation for all of us."
"We can all learn things from this," added Gerrard. "It's been a bit of a mess, but now we can sort it out and move forward. I'm going to sign a new contract and, like I've always done, will be doing everything possible to make Liverpool successful again.
"I hope that convinces the fans that my commitment is with this club because I don't want this ever to happen again."
For those who gathered at the gates of Liverpool's Melwood training ground prepared to spit their disgust at their former favourite, confirmation of his change of heart prompted unbridled delight. The graffiti scrawled on the walls - "Judas" and "traitor" - were hurriedly wiped down, the player's eventual arrival at the training ground prompting whoops of glee where, a few hours previously, there had been snarling discontent.
Yet, there remains an underlying sense of bafflement. The farce which had been allowed to rage since the weekend has left a scar. After last summer's similar shenanigans were forgiven by many, the captain may now have to learn to live with deep-rooted scepticism for a while.
Most on Merseyside are still trying to comprehend how a local lad who lifted the European Cup only six weeks ago could ever contemplate leaving.
Even Gerrard, drained by the trauma, seemed perplexed yesterday as to how a simple breakdown of communication could have escalated into a full-scale crisis.
"I'm not proud of what happened, but there was confusion and doubt in my mind," he said. "I actually thought that I would be offered a new contract straight after the Champions League final.
"If I had been, none of this mess would have happened, but to get five or six weeks down the line without being offered a deal made me wonder whether I was wanted or not. I thought they might want to sell me."
Tuesday night was a traumatic one for Gerrard, who was racked by guilt and doubtful whether his decision to leave was the right one. He spoke to family, friends and his agent, who were concerned by his clear distress, and telephoned Parry at his home.
That conversation confirmed that there was indeed a way back to Anfield.
