Liverpool News: Reds wanted to get rid of Steven Gerrard two years before his actual departure, claims Michael Owen

What's the story?

Former Liverpool attacker, Michael Owen has claimed that the Reds wanted to get rid of Steven Gerrard two years before his actual departure to LA Galaxy in 2015.

In case you didn't know...

Considered as one of the greatest Liverpool players of all time, Gerrard played 504 league games for the Reds between 1998 and 2015. He helped the club win a number of major honours, including three Football League Cups and one UEFA Champions League.

The Englishman was crowned as the Liverpool Player of the Season on four occasions and he was also the recipient of the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year accolade in 2005.

The 39-year-old left the Merseyside-based club to play for LA Galaxy in 2015, where he spent just one year before announcing his retirement from the professional football in 2016.

The heart of the matter

In his autobiography, Reboot: My Life, My Time, Owen claimed that the Reds wanted to sell Steven Gerrard two years before his actual departure in 2015.

He said:

"In Steven's case, I severely doubt whether he really wanted to go and play in the States in 2015.

"I've heard that the club wanted him out two years prior to when he actually left.

"I'm sure he would rather have wound his career down at Liverpool, playing increasingly fewer games until he reached a point where he could be integrated into the coaching staff.

"This only happened later in his case. But instead, because he'd become so symbolic and so powerful, I believe he was forced out in the short term. Steven was bigger than the club."

What's next?

Liverpool will host Newcastle United at Anfield when the Premier League resumes after the international break. Meanwhile, Michael Owen has recently launched his new autobiography, Reboot: My Life, My Time, which has sparked several controversies due to some of his shocking revelations.