Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre has refused to rule out the prospect of Steven Gerrard returning to Anfield on loan from MLS side Los Angeles Galaxy.

The 34-year-old midfielder will move to the United States at the end of the season after deciding to leave Anfield when his contract expires in the summer.

Despite the club captain's departure, Ayre has insisted that he wants Gerrard to return to the club in the future in some capacity.

"The fact that he's leaving at the end of the season doesn't mean it's the last we'll see of him at Liverpool," Ayre told CityTalk.

"What that means, the details aren't known yet, but we will keep a regular dialogue with him and I hope we will see him here again in the long term."

When asked if Gerrard could return on loan next January, Ayre said: "It's conceivable. It happens a lot in MLS, and it's something we talked to Steven and his representatives about."

Gerrard has been at Liverpool since he was eight years old.