Gerrard Contract Extension "Just a Matter of Time"

If you had to make a list of sure things in the world, Steven Gerrard's contract being extended past its current expiry date at the end of the 2013-14 season would have to be pretty high on that list. Even if there were never any doubts that the captain would re-sign with the club, it remains a reassuring announcement at a time when it's easy to fall into a verklempt tailspin over Liverpool's other, now retiring Scouser.

"They want me to extend, I want to extend, so it’s just a matter of time really," Gerrard stated. "How long for I’m not too sure yet. That’s under discussion at the moment. But it will get sorted one way or another, probably in the summer."

For a man turning thirty-three at the end of the month, it's unlikely Gerrard will receive a lengthy contract despite the impressive form and fitness he's maintained this season. Still, Brendan Rodgers is as keen as anyone to keep on both a club talisman and a man who is invested in the future of the club.

"For me as a manager, to have a captain like that has been brilliant," Rodgers enthused. "He is very deserving of (a new contract). He is a really humble man, always put the club first. We spoke earlier on in the season and wanted to make sure we were progressing and improving.

"That's the mark of the man. There are players who have two or even three years left on their contract and they want to know what’s happening next. Stevie has just got his head down, worked hard, stayed fit, and he’s certainly one I would envisage to be here for a good few years yet."

Liverpool are already a club in transition as they finish off Year One of Brendan Rogers' undefined-number-of-years plan, and the departure of Jamie Carragher and eventually Steven Gerrard are inevitable conclusions to certain parts of that plan. Gerrard still has an integral role to play on multiple levels in the early seasons of this longer transition, though, and Rodgers will no doubt value having a player of Gerrard's experience and leadership on his roster over the next few seasons to help manage the changing of the guard.