Gerrard, Carragher sign new Liverpool deals

England's Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher have signed new deals with Liverpool that will keep them at the club until 2009, the European champions said yesterday.

Captain and midfielder Gerrard, who only last week looked on the verge of leaving the club for Chelsea, and central defender Carragher signed extensions to their existing contracts.

"It's a massive weight off my mind," Gerrard said.

"Over the last 12 months there has been a lot of speculation about my future and it hasn't helped my football.

"It's nice to sign a four-year deal with no clauses to make sure this situation doesn't happen again," he told the website.

Gerrard appeared set to walk out on his boyhood club when contractual talks broke down last week and Premier League champions Chelsea made an offer, reported in the media at £32 million, for the midfield dynamo which Liverpool rejected.

Real Madrid were also reported to be interested in the 25-year-old midfielder who is a key member of Sven-Goran Eriksson's England team.

Gerrard, however, realised that he did not after all want to leave Liverpool, who he led to victory over Milan in the Champions League final in Istanbul six weeks ago.

"Next season you'll see a Steven Gerrard who has got a clear mind and who is focused on his football. I'll be a better player next season," he said.

Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry said in midweek that Gerrard's new deal could make him one of English soccer's highest-paid players, earning an estimated £100,000 a week.

The 27-year-old Carragher has spent all of his career at Liverpool.

"This is the best club in the world with the best fans, so I'm very proud to be a Liverpool player for the next four years and hopefully even longer," Carragher said.

Liverpool begin the defence of the title against Wales' TNS in the first leg of their Champions League first round qualifier on Wednesday.