Is Steven Gerrard the dark horse in the Liverpool managerial race?

Gerrard was once the frontrunner to be Liverpool gaffer and could be the man the club turn to post-Klopp

Since Jurgen Klopp’s announcement that he will step down at the end of the season, a myriad of names of have been bandied about as his potential successor. Coaches like Xabi Alonso, Roberto De Zerbi, and Thomas Frank have all been linked to the Anfield hot seat. Yet, one name, one very big name, has been left off most — or all — lists: Steven Gerrard.

The former Liverpool captain was once the man being groomed for the manager’s role. Gerrard’s time at Rangers enabled him to get his feet wet with a big club with even bigger expectations. There was a feeling that Gerrard was just a few seasons away from moving to Liverpool and succeeding Klopp.

Unfortunately for Gerrard, his managerial skills were proven to be lacking at Aston Villa. Despite starting his time at Villa Park well, it all went downhill very quickly. Perhaps the biggest disaster for Gerrard was Aston Villa being unable to hold onto a two-goal lead against Manchester City on the final day of the 2021-22 Premier League season. With the chance to help Liverpool win the title, Aston Villa couldn’t do their part, losing 3-2 to Manchester City, as Liverpool won their match.

His 1.18 points per match figure at Villa is the lowest of Gerrard’s managerial career. He was often criticised for a lack of tactical knowledge and ability to change in-game. When Gerrard was finally sacked, in favour of Unai Emery, who has Villa fighting for a top-four place this season, Gerrard’s chances of becoming the next Liverpool manager looked to go out the window.

Yet, his appearance at the Liverpool Legends-Ajax Legends match at Anfield a week ago should remind supporters that anything can happen in football. Gerrard is the dark horse managerial candidate to succeed Klopp. The fans on hand gave Gerrard multiple standing ovations. He linked up once again with Fernando Torres to the delight of those in attendance.

In 2019, Four Four Two magazine ran a surprising interview with Klopp. The German stated that Gerrard should one day take over for him.

Klopp said in the interview: “Second, my position as a manager has nothing to do with the people around me. If Liverpool were to sack me tomorrow, then maybe Kenny would be the first choice to replace me, but they would probably bring Stevie down from Glasgow.

“If you ask who should follow me, I’d say Stevie. I help him whenever I can.”

In the short-term memory of football and football media, it is easy to forget that interview. But when it was published, it was a bit of a revelation. Klopp was just months away from winning the Premier League, further cementing himself as a Liverpool managerial great.

Gerrard is currently in charge of Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ettifaq, who sit sixth in the Pro League after 24 games. Al-Ettifaq are over 30 points off league leaders Al Hilal. The season certainly hasn’t gone to plan, and Gerrard even lost the midfielder he recruited to captain the team. Jordan Henderson, disillusioned with the Pro League after only a few months, left in January to sign for Ajax.

In January, just days before Klopp’s departure announcement, Gerrard signed a new two-year extension with Al-Ettifaq. The former midfielder must have cursed the poor timing of signing the deal. Still, contracts can be broken and Gerrard could leave Al-Ettifaq in the offseason if desired.

Despite the spending and the hype before the 2023-24 season, the Saudi Pro League hasn’t (yet) become the force many people, especially those in the media, expected it to be. There was no mass exodus of players joining Saudi clubs in January. Instead, there were a fair number of reports about players like Henderson, Karim Benzema, and Jota being unhappy with life in the Kingdom.

Could Al-Ettifaq part ways with Gerrard after one season? With the money being paid in Saudi Arabia to quickly raise the bar of the country’s football and become a world player, the answer is yes.

Clubs like Al-Ettifaq may have second thoughts about the money being spent and attempt to tighten the purse strings after spluring last summer. Gerrard is said to earn £15.2 million-per-season, which is equivalent to Klopp’s Liverpool salary. Is £15.2m worth a sixth-place finish?

According to the latest betting odds. Gerrard is a massive 40/1 to become the next Liverpool manager. The likes of Zinedine Zidane, Roger Schmidt, and Thomas Tuchel all have better odds to become the next Liverpool manager than Gerrard.

Gerrard has every chance of becoming the next Liverpool manager. Don’t count out the former Liverpool captain. He may not fit the profile many fans believe the next manager should be. But that doesn’t mean Gerrard won’t have the chance to manage the club he once captained.