The Kop legend has been the heartbeat of the club for over a decade but is his waning presence now hampering his side amid more contract speculation?

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By Gary Maiden at Anfield

A little over a decade on from the heroics that dragged Liverpool past Olympiakos into the knockout stages of the Champions League, Steven Gerrard remains the main attraction at Anfield.

Liverpool went on to lift the trophy on a famous night in Istanbul in one of the most dramatic comebacks in football history, with the captain beginning the great escape as the Reds trailed AC Milan 3-0.

Gerrard’s name is still met with the loudest cheer when the teams are read out at Anfield. But the 34-year-old no longer warrants a starting place so could it now be time for the Reds skipper to seek a fresh challenge?

In Thursday’s 2-2 draw with Leicester, Jordan Henderson was placed on the right of midfield to accommodate Gerrard centrally. That decision could have cost the Reds two points as their ageing midfield was overrun by a vibrant Foxes pack as the game wore on.

Henderson can now offer the same level of energy in a central role that the former England captain once did. The changing of the guard must be a high priority for Brendan Rodgers with the Huyton-born skipper’s performances under the spotlight.

Gerrard was rested for Monday evening’s convincing 4-1 victory over Swansea and the balance of the midfield was there for all to see, with Adam Lallana shining in a youthful side. There is no way of predicting if result would have been the same had the captain started, but could his powerful position at the club be preventing Rodgers moving to replace him?

The problem is not that Gerrard is getting older – everyone does – it is that the team still relies on him. When Gerrard plays he is still expected to take every free-kick and corner as well as act as the engine room of the midfield, a burden that is not shared.

Manchester United’s failure to replace their ageing stars was highlighted when Paul Scholes came out of retirement to partner a 40-year-old Ryan Giggs in midfield.

The Reds boss faces a big decision in the coming weeks and months. The Northern Irishman, and Liverpool as a club, must not let their hearts rule their heads when deciding on the future of a club legend.

At the same time they must not worry too much about his age. Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba are both still key figures in the Premier League, and are two years older than the Liverpool star. The big difference though is that the Manchester City and Chelsea squads contain more quality, and those two players are used more sparingly. Their teams are not built around those players.

Gerrard is now free to speak to clubs from abroad with his current deal expiring within six months and there are several clubs interested in his services. Toronto FC and New York Red Bulls have both expressed an interest in taking the one-club man to the MLS, offers that may well tempt Gerrard given that his position in this Liverpool side remains unclear. There will be added interest, domestically as well as abroad.

Rodgers himself appears to be particularly laid back about the situation.

“I have got a great relationship and communication with Steven so we understand exactly the position. He has earned that respect if he does talk to anyone.”

After the lacklustre second half display against Leicester, Rodgers once again refused to confirm whether his captain would remain at the club.

He added: “There’s no update. When there is we’ll let you know.”

Gerrard has spoken of his desire to continue playing so the question is whether he is willing to accept that his position at Anfield could be changing, that it is time for a new star to shine, or whether he wants one last hurrah and the chance to experience football elsewhere.

With that in mind, Gerrard will have been concerned to hear his manager again speaking of managing his game time.

Rodgers said: “When I came in here two and a half years ago, everyone was talking about whether he can play in my type of football and were his legs gone.

“I’ve just got to manage his game time. It’s my situation of picking the best team and making it fresh as often as we possibly can.”

Seeing bottom club Leicester push on for a winner in the second half with little resistance shown from his midfield talisman may just have made up Rodgers’ mind on Gerrard.

It is an unenviable situation to be in, but continuing to build a team around a player whose best years are behind him could prove costly for Rodgers.

Two Steven Gerrard penalties looked to have secured the three points for the Reds, only for two quickfire strikes for the Foxes to earn the bottom-placed side a point

Brendan Rodgers felt Liverpool got what they deserved as Leicester City came from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw at Anfield.

The Reds were handed a two-goal lead when Wes Morgan and Danny Simpson were both punished for handballs inside the penalty area in the first half, with Steven Gerrard converting both spot kicks.

However, they were unable to hold on for victory as Leicester showed their battling qualities for a second-successive away match.

Having withstood heavy pressure to beat Hull City 1-0 on Sunday, they defied the odds again as David Nugent and Jeffrey Schlupp earned an unexpected point.

Rodgers admitted his side had not done enough to deserve all three points, and was disappointed by how many mistakes Liverpool made.

“I thought we got what we deserved in the end,” he said. “I didn’t think we played well in all honesty, and I thought Leicester played very well.

“We found ourselves two-nil up in a game we didn’t deserve to be, we still created chances but it was always a dangerous game.

“Leicester played very well, they’ve got players at the top of the field with speed and that’s always very dangerous.

“We’re obviously disappointed at being two-nil up and conceding the goals we did.

“Overall there is a little bit of frustration, but I can’t be too unhappy because I didn’t think we played well enough to merit a win to be honest.”

Two goals in two minutes from David Nugent and Jeffrey Schlupp earns bottom side Leicester a point at Anfield as they cancel out two goals from Steven Gerrard.

Leicester City came from 2-0 down to secure a point at Liverpool thanks to two goals in two minutes from David Nugent and Jeffrey Schlupp.

Resurgent Liverpool looked to be heading for a third consecutive Premier League victory when two Steven Gerrard penalties put them in command at half-time on New Year’s Day.

Bottom-of-the-table Leicester understandably felt aggrieved with the first of those spot-kicks, when referee Mike Jones adjudged Wes Morgan to have handled Raheem Sterling’s cross but the ball struck the defender in the face.

Gerrard, who also scored in Liverpool’s 3-1 win at Leicester last month, tucked home the resulting spot-kick and struck again from 12-yards after Danny Simpson also handled.

But Nigel Pearson’s strugglers were in no mood to feel sorry for themselves and two goals in as many minutes from Nugent and Schlupp salvaged a point at Anfield.

Leicester’s fightback came on the back of a victory at Hull City that ended their dismal 13-game winless run and will give them great heart in their battle to avoid the drop.

A point for Liverpool ensured they have suffered only one defeat in 11 games, but the draw will undoubtedly be viewed by manager Brendan Rodgers as two points dropped.

Riyad Mahrez’s strike at the KC Stadium ended Leicester’s long wait, of 99 days, for a win and the Algeria international almost gave the visitors a shock lead at Anfield after only two minutes.

Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet was clearly expecting Mahrez to cross a free-kick from long range, but the winger opted to shoot and his left-footed effort came back off the post.

It was Liverpool who were in front after 17 minutes, though, courtesy of a highly controversial penalty as referee Jones adjudged Morgan to have handled Sterling’s cross when the ball struck the Leicester captain in the face as he slid on the ground.

Gerrard made no mistake with the resulting spot-kick, which he buried into the bottom-right corner of the net.

Leicester had every right to feel hard done by with Liverpool’s first penalty, but there was no doubt Simpson handled when referee Jones pointed to the spot five minutes before the break and the full-back was punished when Gerrard sent Ben Hamer the wrong way from 12-yards out.

Jordan Henderson almost had a contender for goal of the season when he showed great technique to meet a Gerrard corner with a volley that flew narrowly wide shortly before the break.

Adam Lallana limped off 10 minutes into the second half and Leicester were back in the game just before the hour when Jamie Vardy, preferred to leading scorer Leonardo Ulloa in the starting line-up, chested the ball down and Nugent beat Mignolet with a fine half-volley from 20-yards out.

And Liverpool were stunned two minutes later as Mahrez picked out Schlupp and he equalised with a left-footed drive from outside the area.

Substitute Fabio Borini fired over the crossbar after Sterling had picked him out inside the penalty area and Hamer denied Henderson five minutes from time.

Borini went down under a challenge from Morgan in the box late on, but Jones this time saw nothing untoward before Lazar Markovic headed wide as Leicester held on for a precious point.