Former Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva has returned to Gremio.

Leiva, 35, was available on a free after his Lazio deal expired.

The anchorman spent ten years at Liverpool between 2007 and 2017, playing 346 times.

Leiva opted for Gremio over other proposals despite their relegation to Brazil's second tier last year.

He said: “In football, sometimes we plan and it doesn't work out, but the time to come back has arrived.

“For me, it doesn't matter where Gremio is, what matters is having the opportunity to represent this team that means so much to me.

“The club made an effort to bring me and I made an effort to return, the most important thing is to put vanities and ego aside for a single objective, which is to return to Serie A."