1 Steven Gerrard salutes the Liverpool fans at the end of the season

New Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson expects Steven Gerrard to stay at the club after holding initial talks with the midfield star.

The Anfield captain has been linked with a move away from Merseyside this summer, with Chelsea and Real Madrid both keen to sign him.

But Hodgson, who left Fulham to take charge of Liverpool during the close saeson, is confident he can persuade the 30-year-old to stay.

He said: "Nobody at the club wants him to go, so I will be doing my utmost to make sure he stays. I'm confident he will.

"I appreciate there might be a situation where other big clubs will try to sign Steven, but he gave no indication that he wanted to leave.

"It's very important we keep people like that with us."