Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has said that leaving the club at the end of the season will be "very tough".

The 34-year-old announced yesterday that he will not sign a contract extension with his boyhood club in May and has decided to join a side in the MLS.

When asked how he thinks he will feel walking out of Melwood for the last time, an emotional Gerrard told the club's official website: "I'm sure it will be tough. The last couple of weeks will be probably how the last 24 hours have been - very tough.

"But I'm really proud of what I've done and hopefully I can write a few more chapters with the team from now to the end.

"The last game and the last couple of training sessions are going to be torture, because it's so tough to say 'goodbye', but hopefully it's more of a 'see you soon' rather than a 'goodbye'."

Gerrard, who joined the club as an eight-year-old, has amassed 695 appearances for the Reds and scored in every major cup final during his 17-year stay in the first team.