Gerrard sale never on

Liverpool managing director Christian Purslow said the club never planned to sell stars Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres.

It was rumoured during the off-season that the Premier League club might sell the star duo to help pay off their massive debts, which stand at 237 million pounds.

But Purslow insists that was never an option.

"It's certainly not something we would have ever wanted to do," Purslow said.

"Any conversations that were had were stressing the absolute vital importance of those players - and others - to our future and to our plans and why they remain so central to what we're doing."

"Let's be honest, if you'd believed half of what you read in May about who would be leaving and who wouldn't ... then most of that didn't come to fruition."

"I'm absolutely thrilled and delighted that it didn't and that those fantastic players still grace our team today."

Purslow said the club would never use player transfer funds to pay off its debts while he was in charge.

"Every single penny we generate from selling footballers goes back into buying footballers," Purslow said.

"I wouldn't have it any other way and I wouldn't have taken the job to oversee selling footballers to pay banks or owners money."

"We never have in my time here and we never will as long as I am here. Please, I ask our fans to have no doubt whatsoever."