Steven Gerrard knew it was time to leave Liverpool when he was omitted from the starting line-up for their Champions League group match at Real Madrid last November.

The 35-year-old former England captain left Anfield in May after more than 17 years and 700 matches with the Premier League club and has signed for Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy.

He said in an interview yesterday that he was “devastated” when manager Brendan Rodgers put him on the bench in Madrid and realised his days at the club were numbered.

“When I was told I wasn’t playing, for the sake of the team and my relationship with Brendan, I took it and accepted it,” Gerrard said.

But the ex-Liverpool skipper said that was the moment he realised his long career at the club was coming to an end.

“I sat on the bench devastated because I wanted to play. It sort of pushed me into making a decision to move on and try something different,” he explained.

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