Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre has calmed suggestions that the club are planning to break away from their current Premier League television rights deal.

Ayre had suggested on Wednesday that clubs should be able to negotiate their own foreign deals instead of having to take a share of Premier League money.

However, those comments were met with anger by many within the game who believe that such reforms would only widen the gulf between the larger clubs and the smaller clubs.

Now Ayre has clarified his stance by saying that the issue should simply be debated.

"I think it is unfortunate it has snowballed into some ridiculous tirade of media suggesting we were trying to run off and damage the league," he said. "We are Liverpool Football Club and clearly that is not our game but it is something I would like to see debated.

"The whole media rights landscape is very important as it represents about 95% of the revenue we get from the league.

"I think it needs to be addressed because I don't think the balance is right but what it turned into was a torrent of 'Liverpool are going to break away and damage the league' and quite clearly I wasn't suggesting that."

The Reds take on Manchester United at Anfield tomorrow (Saturday).

Written by
Jack Prescott