LA Galaxy CONFIRM Steven Gerrard deal: Liverpool captain will join in July

Reds skipper will not fly to US as necessary paperwork can be done from the UK

(GETTY IMAGES)

Los Angeles Galaxy coach Bruce Arena has confirmed Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard will join the club in July.

In an interview with the LA Times, Arena revealed what is expected to be officially announced later on Wednesday.

"Steven Gerrard arrives in July and by then we will certainly have a plan available," Arena, who has led the club to three Major League Soccer titles in four years, told the newspaper.

"He's a player of quality. I'm not concerned about how he's going to fit in with our team.

"We have a club now with a proven history of success. All those things go hand in hand in making LA Galaxy a very attractive team for players such as Steven Gerrard."

Galaxy president Chris Klein described the Reds captain as "the perfect fit".

"We just started thinking in the universe of players that are out there, we want to make a decision on what signifies a Galaxy-designated player.

"When we look at that, Steven Gerrard is the perfect fit with what he brings to us on the field and the character that he has off it."

In announcing his decision to leave Liverpool, ending an association he has had since he was eight, Gerrard stressed he could not play for another European club if there was a chance they would come up against his boyhood side.

That is partly the reason he made the life-changing decision to move to the United States, and he believes Galaxy is the ideal destination.

"I think it's a match made in heaven really," Gerrard told the newspaper.

"One of the reasons I chose LA Galaxy was because of the success they've had recently.

"I want to finish my career very strong. I want to add some medals and trophies to my collection."

Gerrard admits had the club offered him a new contract last summer he would not be leaving at the end of the season.

However, the midfielder insists he does not want to blame anyone for his impending departure.

A contract offer was not made to Gerrard, who turns 35 in May, until November - by which time he had already been told by Brendan Rodgers his playing time would be managed.

Such a tactic had already seen him left on the bench for Liverpool's Champions League match against Real Madrid in the Bernabeu and that, combined with the delay in offering him an extension, resulted in the player coming to a decision about his future.

"If a contract had been put in front of me in pre-season I would have signed it," he told the Liverpool Echo.

"I'd just retired from England to concentrate all my efforts on Liverpool. I didn't want my club games to be tailored.

"My injury record had been fantastic for the past two and a half years and I had a great season from a personal point of view last season.

"It's all ifs, buts and hindsight now. That period between the summer and the end of November gave me thinking time.

"There's no blame and I'm not angry about it. There are other people in the squad and the club had other things to worry about.

"There is no finger pointing from me towards the manager or anyone else at the club."