The Liverpool boss knows that experience in his squad is vital as his captain prepares to leave.
With Steven Gerrard having announced that this will be his last season as a Liverpool player, manager Brendan Rodgers says that the club needs to bring in proven internationals to offset the loss of the club legend.
Gerrard will move to the United States at the end of the season and Rodgers knows that he can’t bridge the gap in his squad by continuing to fill it with youngsters.
“The model at this club is clear: we want to take young players and develop them into world-class ones, but that can be a long and a difficult process,” the Liverpool manager said.
“The owners know that, and they also know that not every player can be a developer if you are going to keep progressing. A large part of our squad will always be young players, but if you want to take those steps forward at times you have to look to bring in ready-made players.”
Rodgers went on to describe the turmoil felt by Gerrard as he came to the realisation that he needed to leave the club where he has played for his entire career.
“I’ve had plenty of conversations with Steven this season and he’s never told me he felt unhappy,” Rodgers said.
“We wanted to keep him at the club. He’s been a brilliant captain for me and we offered him a deal, but he wanted the chance to experience something different. Our communication is very open, so I was aware what he was thinking and I also knew the turmoil he was in because of his unique situation.”
