Steven Gerrard will complete his second u-turn on Friday by committing his future to Liverpool after admitting he did not have the heart to leave Anfield.
Just 24 hours ago, the Reds were resigned to losing their skipper after Gerrard rejected a £100,000-a-week deal which would have made him the highest-paid player in the club's history.
However, the 25-year-old today revealed that he changed his mind when he sat down at home last night with his girlfriend and agent Struan Marshall.
"I was just thinking 'how have we got into this mess and what is the best way out of it'," he told the Liverpool Echo.
"I knew I had to do what I had intended to do all along and sign a new contract."
"I love Liverpool so much. This is my club. My heart is with Liverpool. Everyone who knows me can see how I feel."
"The last thing I wanted to do was leave, I just could not do it."
So, just as he did 12 months ago, Gerrard phoned chief executive Rick Parry and told him he wanted to sign the contract after all.
On paper, the deal will keep the Huyton-born star at Anfield until 2009, but for Parry it is an acceptance Liverpool's skipper will stay for life.
"I am sure he is going to stay for good," said a relieved Parry, who spent an hour with Gerrard at Melwood this afternoon.
Chairman David Moores, a close friend of Gerrard's who also attended today's brief discussions, claimed the player had become 'confused' about the intentions of Parry and manager Rafael Benitez.
The indecision appears to stem from Liverpool's failure to launch contract talks immediately after Gerrard had skippered the club to their stunning Champions League triumph over AC Milan in May.
