There is some good news for Liverpool fans with news coming in that Martin Skrtel is to be offered an extension on his contract which has entered the final 18 months. Liverpool have been criticised for the way they had handled the contract situation of Steven Gerrard who said that he would have signed an extension had it been provided after the World Cup while he is set to leave Liverpool and play in the MLS.
FSG and Liverpool do not want to make the same mistake for a player who has become a stalwart for Liverpool this season after a decent end to last season. Skrtel was signed from Zenit St. Petersburg in 2007 by Rafael Benitez and it seemed that the Slovakian international would be on his way out after the first season of Brendan Rodgers’ reign.
There were often problems between him and the manager and Skrtel was a sure shot to leave last season as well but he became one of Liverpool’s best performers last season as he scored 7 goals for the Premier League runners up.
Liverpool signed Dejan Lovren to help out in defence but the £20 million signing from Southampton has been poor and not been able to establish himself in the team, with Kolo Toure also away at the African Cup of Nations and Sakho slowly returning to the team, Liverpool would be looking to close the deal with Skrtel so that they can get back to their decent unbeaten run.
Skrtel celebrated his 7th year at Liverpool and was quoted as saying on his website
” It is a great honour for me to play seven years for Liverpool. We’ve had some great moments together and I am really happy I am part of this all. Liverpool are now in my heart.”
The Slovakian showed just what he is all about when Liverpool took on Arsenal, he needed staples in his head to stop a head wound caused inadvertently and although he should have gone off the field and been substituted, he patched himself up and came back on the pitch to level for Liverpool in the 97th minute and with Liverpool playing with just 10 men.
That more than anything else shows what Skrtel has been all about during his time at Liverpool, a tough no nonsense defender and hopefully, he will stay on at the club for a few more seasons.
Picture courtesy: The Telegraph & the Daily post
