Liverpool has confirmed club legend Steven Gerrard will leave Anfield at the end of the Premier League season.

The 34-year-old has been with Liverpool since joining the club’s youth team aged eight, and has made 695 appearances and scored 180 goals to date.

The club said Gerrard, who helped them lift the UEFA Champions League trophy in 2004/05, would continue his career overseas, although there was no mention of where he might be headed.

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There has been speculation he could be destined for the US to compete in Major League Soccer.

“This has been the toughest decision of my life and one which both me and my family have agonised over for a good deal of time,” Gerrard said.

“I am making the announcement now so that the manager and the team are not distracted by stories or speculation about my future.

“Liverpool Football Club has been such a huge part of all our lives for so long and saying goodbye is going to be difficult, but I feel it’s something that’s in the best interests of all involved, including my family and the club itself.

“My decision is completely based on my wish to experience something different in my career and life and I also want to make sure that I have no regrets when my playing career is eventually over.

“My final message is for the people who make Liverpool Football Club the greatest in the world – the supporters.

“It has been a privilege to represent you, as a player and as captain. I have cherished every second of it and it is my sincere wish to finish this season and my Liverpool career on a high.”