Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers calls for Steven Gerrard to be cherished by fans ahead of Basle return

Brendan Rodgers says Liverpool should appreciate Steven Gerrard while they can as the club captain awaits confirmation that his career will extend beyond this season.

Gerrard, 34, has only eight months left on his contract and, although a new Anfield deal is anticipated, he has never found himself so close to being a free agent.

When he leads his side into St Jakob-Park in Basle for the Champions League tie on Wednesday night, it will not be the first time at this particular venue that Gerrard may feel he is approaching a defining moment in his career.

Basle was the scene of one of Gerrard’s most chastening experiences as a Liverpool player. On his last Champions League visit 12 years ago, a 3-3 draw led to his club’s elimination.

Gerrard felt he had been made a scapegoat for the failure by former manager Gérard Houllier, stating it was his most depressing experience during the Frenchman’s reign.

Given the criticism of some of his performances this season, he could be forgiven for a sense of déjà vu as he prepared for a crucial Group B encounter in Switzerland.

Rodgers has spent the last few days rallying around his skipper and continued the theme in saying the former England captain should be cherished for every second he chose to play on.

Although not directly intended that way, the message to Liverpool’s hierarchy, who are yet to clarify Gerrard’s future, could not be clearer.

When asked if the player should be appreciated while he was still around, Rodgers replied: “I certainly will and anyone who works closely with him should.

_{I can't hear you: Gerrard responds to fans' criticisms}

As a footballer and a human being – as a captain – every football person will know the qualities and influence he still has. He is a real catalyst for everything the team has done in the last 18 months.

“Some of the criticism he is taking shows you the level he is playing. Teams deem him worthy to be man-marked. It shows you the influence of his game.

“It [the contract] is something we are looking at as a club and with him and how he feels. He is still in a real good physical condition. He’s 34 years old, never needs a day’s rest, and this is a genuine superstar – a world-class player – who has performed consistently for so many years. This country has not produced too many of them.”

_{Hurtful: Gerrard was subbed at half-time on last visit to Basle}

Liverpool’s trip to Basle in 2002 proved a rite of passage for the emerging midfielder when he was substituted at half-time for Salif Diao. Liverpool were trailing 3-0 within 29 minutes and mounted a second-half comeback without him. Houllier offered a critical insight into why his 22-year-old midfielder had been hooked.

“I hope he doesn’t believe everything that is written in the press about him, but he seems to be a good reader,” Houllier said. “Once a player starts to believe everything that is written about him and thinks ‘I am king of the world’, there is difficulty and danger.”

In Houllier’s defence, he was unaware at the time that Gerrard’s parents were going through a divorce. It was affecting Gerrard’s form.

Gerrard has since admitted his performance on that evening deserved the condemnation, although recalling the incident in his 2006 autobiography, it had clearly left its mark. “I felt badly let down,” he wrote.

There has been a more reflective view on the incident in the years since. “Things like that happen to you and you become a better player from them,” said Gerrard on his last visit here, with England, four years ago.

_{Support: Brendan Rodgers wants fans to get behind their captain}

“I’m the player I am today from learning and recovering from my lows, rather than dwelling on my highs. I came out stronger for that experience.”

Now preparing for another potential pivotal fixture as Liverpool seek the victory that put them in a commanding position to reach the knockout stage, Rodgers said he had recalled the incident with his captain since the draw was made.

“He had an experience that night that really helped him going forward in his career,” said Rodgers. “He had a fantastic relationship with Gérard Houllier, and as a young player at that level he learned very early on that you need to perform and prepare. I know he benefited from it.”