Sports News

Gerrard will stay with Liverpool

LIVERPOOL, England -- Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has, after all, decided that his future remains with the European champions.

Less than 24 hours after saying that he had made the most difficult decision of his life to leave the club, it was announced that he has changed his mind.

Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry told Skysports TV: "He wants to stay and I couldn't be more delighted."

Parry said:" He realizes how much the club means to him."

Parry added that he had spoken to Gerrard by telephone and apologized to him for any misunderstandings about the club's desire to keep him.

"We've cleared all of that and I don't think it will happen again," said Parry.

"It hasn't been easy for him but as far as we are concerned it is the right decision."

Parry indicated that Gerrard had agreed to sign a new contract which could make him one of the highest paid players in England at an estimated $175,500 a week.

Liverpool rejected a bid for Gerrard from league champions Chelsea earlier this week. Press reports said the bid was a British record $56.28 million.

Gerrard said on Tuesday that he had reluctantly decided that he must leave Anfield.

"The last six weeks have been the toughest of my life and it's the hardest decision I have ever had to make, " he said.

"I fully intended to sign a new contract after the Champions League final but the events of the last five or six weeks have changed all that."

Gerrard scored one goal and made another against AC Milan when Liverpool staged a remarkable comeback from 3-0 down to lift the Champions League trophy after a penalty shootout.

Liverpool will start the defense of the trophy next week when they meet Welsh part-timers Total Network Solutions in a first round qualifier.

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Hungry India turn it around

Rotterdam: India beat South Korea 3-1 in the Junior World Cup yesterday and hockey fans should rejoice that semi-finals hopes are still alive and kicking.

Indian coach Harendra Singh said that he was very happy with the way the Indians played and gave credit to midfielders Vivek Gupta, Nitin Kumar and V S Vinay.

India are on nine points but there could be a three-way or even a four-way race happening today when Spain, Holland, India and Korea all enter the straight with a possibility of goal difference suddenly becoming the trump card for semifinal spotters.

One can understand that Harendra is and rightly should not talk about weaknesses, especially with a match remaining against England.

But he said: “The boys are hungry and will definitely go for a big win against England.” The ‘big win’ is the mantra. If there are two or three teams tied up on points then goal difference will decide.

But the difference against South Korea was simply that India were hungrier. They fought, screamed at each other and even when Birender Lakra’s mistake led to the Korean first goal they told him to just continue. Nitin shouted at Lakra telling him: “Bhul ja...Tu khel aage chal (forget it, go ahead).”

Two early goals from Birender Lakra and Tushar Khandekar provided the momentum. A smart turn at the penalty corner got India’s third goal.

Sandeep had been flicking high with the Korean goalkeeper reading him very well. But the third flick was low and fast as the Korean fell all, arms and legs in a tangle as the ball whizzed on the turf to sound the boards.

India’s match against England on Wednesday will see a swarm of Indian supporters. Probably touching a thousand as phones would be buzzing that India are a step away from the semifinals. But every supporter better have a way with numbers too as counting goal difference could be vital.

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