• Premier League

Rodgers: Liverpool won't be forced to sell Suarez

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers says he is more focused on adding quality to his squad than worrying about speculation linking Luis Suarez with a move away from the club.

The Uruguayan, 26, was unable to add to his 29 goals this season during the 2-1 Premier League victory against Aston Villa on Sunday, but he outlined how important he is to Liverpool with another action-packed performance which saw him win the penalty from which Steven Gerrard scored the winning goal.

Rodgers insisted there is no requirement to sell Suarez this summer and that he will be spending the off-season looking to build his squad in order to progress next season.

"It is very important we keep hold of Luis," he said. "He is a wonderful player. He came back late on Thursday, was in training on Friday and I saw how tired he was. He looked totally shattered from all the travel and all the exertions of the games.

"But you look at him at Villa, his energy and willingness to work for the team and just his sheer quality. We don't have to sell Luis. There is nothing like that. He is very happy and we don't need to sell him for the money or anything like that.

"Our job is trying to build the group here and add to it. We've bought front and midfield players and we want to keep striving forward and there is no need to sell."

Another player who remains part of Rodgers' long-term plans at Anfield is captain Steven Gerrard. The Reds boss believes Gerrard, 32, can play on for a long time to come.

He said: "Steven had to get an injection in his heel to play. We had an issue with his heel for a couple of days. He had a bit of pain and was struggling to get his boot on. But for him it was a case of whatever it takes to play.

"It was nothing major but many other players might not have played or even trained. That shows the mentality and mindset of the man. Can Gerrard play on into his late 30s? Absolutely, no question about that.

"Guys who do that like [Ryan] Giggs, [Paul] Scholes, [Gary] McAllister, it is not what they are doing now, it is what they have done earlier in their careers, when they were 17, 18, 19, 20."

As regards a new contract, Rodgers added: "A new contract is something on the agenda. It will happen in due course."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.