One journalist has claimed that Steven Gerrard would be ‘interested’ in the Liverpool manager’s job if it’s offered to him, but warned that appointing the former Reds captain would be ‘a big risk’.
The 42-year-old is currently in charge of Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq, where he won six of his first eight games but has masterminded only one victory since the end of September (Transfermarkt), following on from being sacked by Aston Villa in October 2022 after less than a year in the post.
Writing for GIVEMESPORT, Ben Jacobs doesn’t envisage Anfield chiefs making a move for the legendary player based on how his stock as a coach has fallen over the past couple of years, no matter how much he might like to be given the opportunity to manage his boyhood club.
The journalist stated: “Steven Gerrard will also inevitably be linked, but it would be a big risk given his Premier League record as a manager and the fact he hasn’t won a game with current club Al-Ettifaq since October.
“Gerrard only just signed a new lucrative extension with Saudi club Al-Ettifaq, but Liverpool vacancies don’t come around too often; and it’s clear if Liverpool were to make an approach he would be interested. He should not be viewed as a frontrunner or likely appointment at this stage, though.”
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Gerrard need only look at Frank Lampard and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for cautionary tales as to how a playing legend at a big-name club can risk harming their legacy with a far from cerebral spell as their manager.
Had Jurgen Klopp stepped away from Liverpool three years ago, the former Reds captain may have been a prime candidate to take over off the back of guiding Rangers to an unbeaten Scottish Premiership campaign and a first top-flight title in 10 years.
However, the 42-year-old’s troubled spells at Aston Villa and now Al-Ettifaq have damaged his managerial reputation, whereas his old midfield teammate Xabi Alonso is thriving at Bayer Leverkusen, who are firmly in contention for a first-ever Bundesliga triumph.
It’s certainly not implausible that Gerrard could return to Europe and enjoy a very successful spell at another club, thus raising his stock to a level where he might become a more viable candidate to take over at Liverpool in future years.
As Jacobs has said, though, handing him the reins as Klopp’s successor would be an enormous risk, especially given the added scrutiny which’d inevitably be placed upon him externally given his status as a local lad who became one of our greatest ever players.