Steven Gerrard has signed a 1-year contract extension with the club.

The new deal also comes with an offer of an ambassadorial role once he hangs up his boots.

Speaking at his delight of his new agreement, the skipper said: "I'm very happy. It's a very proud day for myself and my family.

"This is the club I love and is the club I have supported since I was a young boy. I am living the dream as the captain of one of the biggest clubs in the world. I love coming to work every day and the experiences I have had since I was eight years of age and first signed for the club, I wouldn't change them for the world. To extend that and to hopefully have some more good times in a red shirt is what I want.

"There will be more highs and lows, there's no doubt about it as that's part and parcel of being a football player at a top club. The important thing is that you react well to the lows and experience more of the highs. I'm confident moving forward that the club is going in the right direction. We've got a fantastic team, we've got the right owners in place and the right team behind our team, so I'm really confident we'll have more good experiences in the future."

On his ambassadorial role once he retires, he added: "It's really flattering for me that the club have offered me the chance to stay when I eventually hang my boots up. Hopefully that will be in many years to come because I want to play for as long as I can.

"I'll know myself when it's time to hang my boots up and then hopefully I can stay involved with the club and set the right example for youngsters coming through."

Director of football at Anfield, Damien Comolli, added: "It's a great day for the club, for the fans, for the manager and for everybody because, as I have said in the past, it's a sign we want to keep our best players here. Because he is the captain and because of everything he has done so far, it's an even better feeling.

"The way he puts the team first and the club first over his interests is absolutely tremendous. He's a fantasy professional and it's just great to have someone like this at the club. He's a leader, he's charismatic, he's a top player and he's a team player. There's not much more you can ask for from an individual.

"Whenever we want to sign a young player, no matter what their age is, if I ask Stevie to come to the academy to speak to a player, or have a word with someone at Melwood, he is always there to help and try and convince the boy to come to us, to tell the boy about his experiences of being at Liverpool, of coming through the academy and playing for the first team and for this fantastic fan base.

"It's not only the help he gives on a daily basis to the ones who are here, it's also the help he gives to help us bring talent to the club. Carra is the same, as to be fair are all the others in the first team. Because it's him, and because of what he's done for the club and what he represents in England, when he talks to a young player it makes a difference.

"As an ambassador he's going to be around and can give advice to young players, he can give advice to players he would have played with. It's just great to know he'll be around for a long time."

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EXCLUSIVE: Comolli's Dutch jolly to discuss targets

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KOPTALK hasn't been on form since July due to a serious illness in the KOPTALK family. The editor's mother is critically ill in hospital and this is naturally having an effect on our performance. The rest of the team is here as normal but without the 'Big Man' barking instructions and sparking a few debates, the place isn't the same. Most of you are aware of this. Thanks for your kind words of support and patience.