Hamann to wait before deciding Liverpool future

The German midfielder Dietmar Hamann insists he will not sort out his future until after Liverpool's Champions' League final.

The German midfielder Dietmar Hamann insists he will not sort out his future until after Liverpool's Champions' League final.

The 31-year-old, whose contract expires in the summer, has been linked with a move to Bolton to replace the retiring Fernando Hierro. He has only just returned to fitness after a bad knee injury sustained in the Merseyside derby in March, but was able to replace Xabi Alonso when the Spanish playmaker was suspended for the second leg of the Champions' League semi-final against Chelsea.

Hamann will now be fighting for a midfield place for the Istanbul final on 25 May against Milan with Igor Biscan, a game that could be his last for the club if he cannot sort out a new contract at Anfield.

Hamann said: "We have got two more important games left and I am not going to think about my future until after we have played the final.

"The game is too important for me to be thinking about anything else before then. But I have not agreed to sign any contracts."

Hamann was offered a one-year extension to his current deal during the season, but that was eventually withdrawn by his manager, Rafael Benitez, when he became tired of waiting for the midfielder to make up his mind.

At that point Hamann was being linked with a return to his homeland, and that is still the case. But now Bolton have made their interest known and Hamann will have to make a decision this summer after he has held further talks.

It is believed that Hamann would prefer to stay at Anfield, and he is now looking forward to the 25 May date with Milan, having said the atmosphere for the second leg against Chelsea was the best he had ever experienced. And this from a man who played in the 2002 World Cup final for Germany, the first Liverpool player since Roger Hunt in 1966 to do so.

Now he is likely to have a European Cup final on his CV, and said: "We have had some tremendous games at Anfield and as everyone says European nights are always special whoever we play, but the Chelsea game certainly goes down as one of the best ever [games] I've played in, and that includes the World Cup final.

"The fans have had great times in the '70s and the '80s and Liverpool have won the European Cup four times. It showed that the fans are desperate to get the glory days back. It's a great achievement for everybody connected to Liverpool."

In Scotland, John Robertson has not ruled out a return to Hearts in the future despite resigning as manager after only six months in the job. After weeks of speculation surrounding his position, Robertson resigned on Monday following a meeting with the club's chief executive, Phil Anderton. But he said: "Of course I could see myself coming back to be manager again, you never say never."