Los Angeles Galaxy have confirmed that Steven Gerrard has left the MLS side, with the former Liverpool captain now considering the next stage of his career.

Gerrard joined the American club in May 2015 from Liverpool after a long and distinguished career with his hometown club and England, for whom he won 114 caps.

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In 18 months at Galaxy, Gerrard scored five goals and produced 14 assists in 34 appearances but could not inspire his side to reach the MLS final as they were beaten by Colorado Rapids in the Western Conference semi-final.

“When I left Liverpool, I came to Los Angeles with the goal of helping the Galaxy lift another MLS Cup,” read a statement from Gerrard on Galaxy’s website.

“I am of course disappointed to have not achieved that objective, but I can look back at my time at the club with pride at what we accomplished, including two straight playoff appearances and countless memorable moments on the pitch. As someone who spent the whole of their career in Liverpool, it has been an incredible experience to come to Los Angeles and play for the LA Galaxy. I would like to thank Mr Anschutz, Dan Beckerman, Chris Klein and Bruce Arena for this opportunity. I would also like to thank my teammates, the coaching staff, all of the support staff and most importantly the fans for their fantastic support during my time at Galaxy; I am excited to see this league and this great club continue to grow. I am now looking forward to spending time with my family as I consider the next stage of my career.”

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Galaxy’s head coach, Bruce Arena, added: “We were honoured to have a player and person of Steven’s calibre represent the LA Galaxy over the past two seasons. His experience, class and leadership made him a valuable member of this team both on and off the field. I will always remember his last kick for the LA Galaxy as he smashed home his penalty against Tim Howard. We thank Steven for his time and contributions to this club and we wish him the best in whatever comes next. He is one of the most iconic players of all-time and he will always be a part of the LA Galaxy family.”

Gerrard has been linked with a move to join up with his former manager Brendan Rodgers at Celtic but sources at the Scottish champions have played down any move for the 36-year-old.