Ex-Chelsea favourite makes bizarre claim Steven Gerrard should be next Liverpool manager

Steven Gerrard would be a ‘brilliant’ manager for Liverpool if he replaced Jurgen Klopp.

That’s according to former Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham defender William Gallas, who believes the Liverpool legend could have a similar impact as Zinedine Zidane did at Real Madrid if he returned to Anfield.

Liverpool were hit with a bombshell last week when manager Klopp revealed he would be leaving his post after nine years in charge at the end of the season, citing his lack of ‘energy’ as a key reason for his departure.

The Merseyside outfit will have a huge task on its hands to replace the iconic German, with another former midfielder in Xabi Alonso the early favourite.

Yet, Gallas believes Gerrard, despite his failure at Aston Villa and the fact he is currently managing in Saudi Arabia, is the right man for the job.

What Gallas said

“There are going to be several candidates linked with replacing Klopp, but I think Steven Gerrard has a great opportunity to be the next manager of Liverpool,” Gallas told Genting Casino.

“It’s a huge opportunity for Gerrard. Everyone knows that he would love to be the next manager of Liverpool.

“Gerrard didn’t have a brilliant time at Aston Villa when he was the manager there, but I don’t think he was working with the best players. A coach needs to have great players.

“His record at Rangers in Scotland was brilliant. He brought that club their first title in ten years, and he won it without losing a single game in the Scottish Premier League. He didn’t have world-class players to work with in Scotland, but they were great players for that level.

“Those Rangers players gave him everything and they enjoyed a lot of success in a short period while he was managing the club.

“His spell at Villa wasn’t good. The players he was managing there were not at his level, certainly not when he was a player. I think sometimes legendary players like Gerrard who go onto become managers need to manage players that are on the same level because they can become frustrated.

“They can sometimes struggle to understand why players can’t do simple things or follow instructions because Gerrard didn’t have that problem as a player.

“When you look at the players that Liverpool have, most of them are world-class players. The Liverpool players would be able to follow Gerrard’s instructions.

“I think he could follow in the footsteps of someone like Zinedine Zidane, who managed world-class players at Real Madrid after a remarkable playing career. All of the Madrid players respected Zidane for what he won at the club as a player, and I think it would be exactly the same if Gerrard went into Liverpool.

“The players will have so much respect for him and I think he would have a winning chemistry with them. I think it could work. I think he would be a brilliant manager at Liverpool.”