Gerrard: MLS not where players 'have a holiday and retire'

Former England skipper Steven Gerrard has dismissed the popular notion that Major League Soccer is a place where washed-up footballers reside.

The Liverpool legend admits he has been surprised by the conditions and the ferocity of the North American division in his 13 starts for the LA Galaxy since his summer move, saying other players coming over should not expect an easy ride.

"If people think they can come here just to have a holiday and retire, they are going to have a mistake because they won't perform well and they won't do their team justice," Gerrard told ESPN FC. "I have had to come here and work hard and get fit, make sure that I keep performing to play well."

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Ex-Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, 37, took the league by storm after his August debut for the Montreal Impact, tallying 12 goals in 12 starts, but other members of this season's elderly newcomers, such as Gerrard and New York City duo Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard, have struggled for consistency.

"A lot of people talk about the MLS, about the level, but for me a lot of them are wrong," Gerrard said. "Until you come here and sample it yourself, you see how strong it is and how fit and professional the players are.

"Every single game is a different challenge, certainly on the road you come up against places and teams where it is very hot and very humid; some teams play on astroturf. So each game is very tricky and very difficult. The games at home, we've had a very strong team and we've enjoyed some really strong performances."

While winter training at Melwood could be explored, Gerrard has ruled out a loan deal to Liverpool, which he left in the summer. There may, however, be an emotional reunion between the pair, as the Reds explore the possibility of a friendly in California next year.