Gerrard denies exit rumours

Last updated : 26 March 2005 By Adam Bryant

"I held a press conference last summer to say I was staying and the situation hasn't changed since then," said the Liverpool captain.

"I can tell you for a fact the suggestion I've already made up my mind to leave Liverpool and I've done a deal to join another club is absolute rubbish.

"There's no deal for me to go anywhere and I've not even been thinking about that.

"Sometimes I feel I'm in a no-win situation," he added. "No doubt in Sunday's papers someone, somewhere will misinterpret this but if I say nothing, then you'll have some fans saying 'Gerrard hasn't denied it, so it must be true'.

"On the one hand I want to put the record straight and let the fans know they shouldn't believe everything they're hearing about me. On the other, I know everything I say is being interpreted to mean one thing or another.

"It gets to the point where you wonder if you should do interviews, but I've always been honest in everything I've said.

"If I responded every time a rumour was printed about me I would spend all my time denying I had decided to go. How many times do I have to say it?

"The last thing I want to do is leave this club because I want us to be challenging for honours every season," he said.

"At the end of the season I'll be sitting down with the manager and talking about the future, but until then all of us are trying to just focus on doing the best for the club and making sure we qualify for the Champions League."