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But the former captain of England believes it can be a place for careers to be reborn for those struggling to make it in top European leagues.

The LA Galaxy midfielder moved to America last summer when he finally brought an end to his 17-year Liverpool career.

Now at 36 and with his legs finally starting to feel the strain of so many years at the top, he is unsure about his future as his contract with the American club ends after the final game of their current season in December and there have been no talks on a new deal yet.

The Kop icon is waiting on the right opportunity to grab him before he decides to leave the west coast of America with a coaching career certainly in his thoughts.

But although he may not extend his stay Stateside, it does not mean he has not been impressed by MLS.

In fact he believes living the American dream could be a way for young players in England to overcome the nightmare of trying to push world-class talent out of their way in the first teams of cash-rich clubs.

With the eye-watering sums being spent on talent from across the globe as the new TV deal floods the top tier of English football with cash, it is only going to get harder for young players to break through.

And Gerrard has some words of advice about what is on offer across the pond.

“I think before I came there was an opinion that it is a retirement league and the standard isn’t very good,” he said.

“The opinions I heard weren’t great but when I spoke to Thierry Henry, David Beckham and Robbie Keane they spoke volumes about it and said I would be surprised about the standard.

“I’ve been very impressed with the level. Having got to know the people in the MLS and the Galaxy, I have confidence it is going to get bigger and bigger.

“What I see in England is that some players around the age of say 17 to 21 are basically stuck because of the standard of the Premier League.

“The level is so good and you have to move world-class players out of position to get your breakthrough. Players seem to drop down levels in England. Some you never hear about and some bounce back.

“This is a good environment and level for European kids to come and play regularly, test themselves because it is a very fit level.”

The Anfield icon is waiting on the right opportunity to grab him before he decides to leave California.

He knows the clock is ticking down on what has been a glittering career for the former Liverpool and England captain.

But it is not a decision he will take lightly as he plots a move into coaching and management by working on his UEFA coaching badges.

Galaxy boss Bruce Arena has spotted his star man making “mental notes” on management in the dressing room and can sense his ambition to move into that side of the game.

“He takes notes, mental notes,” Arena said. “This is an interesting experience for him, it’s good, getting out of Liverpool for a bit, seeing the rest of the world, seeing different ways of doing things, it’s helpful for him.

“He’s clearly focused on that’s going to be his next career. It takes time. You can’t thrown them in too early and have their not have a good experience to start their careers. He’ll need a little time.”

Gerrard added: “I haven’t made a concrete decision. I do know there is not long left.

“I’m waiting for an option to come up that really grabs me. I’ve got a few things in the pipeline but no solid concrete offers as of yet.

“I’ll certainly miss playing because I love it. I enjoy training the same as I did 10 or 15 years ago.

“The body is obviously talking to me a bit but in terms of making that decision I can’t tell you because there is a good chance I could play on next season with Galaxy but there is a good chance that I won’t.

“It all depends on what opportunities come along in the next four to six months. It could go one way or the other.”