GERRARD STILL VITAL

The manager of Liverpool, Brendan Rodgers, has said that Steven Gerrard is still a vital member of the Liverpool squad.

The Reds captain had to deal with some injury issues at the end of the last season. He had to go through a shoulder operation because of which he remained out for a couple of games.

However, he has recovered from that and he is expected to be available for Liverpool’s pre season tours.

In one of his interviews last week, Rodgers said, “Steven is in his thirties now, but, still, he is very important for us. He is in my plans not only for this season, but, for the next few years as well.”

“Thankfully, he recovered quickly from his operation. His body is in good shape at the moment and he deserves credit for that. He has worked very hard on his fitness in the off season.”

When asked about Liverpool’s most recent signing Kolo Toure, Rodgers said, “Jamie Carragher’s retirement created a void in our defense. It was important to replace him with another experienced defender and we are lucky that we managed to secure Kolo’s services.”

“Kolo has massive experience of playing in the Premier League. Also, he has a positive mentality. He has already played for a couple of big clubs, so, he has a fair idea of the culture at big clubs.”

Liverpool hired the services of Kolo Toure without paying any transfer fee. The Ivorian defender was released by his former club Manchester City at the end of the last season. So, he was available on free transfer.

Kolo Toure played for Manchester City for 4 years between 2009 and 2013. He made 82 appearances for the club during that period and netted a couple of times.