Liverpool legend Stephen Gerrard has lost his job since leaving Saudian side Al Ettifak in 2025 and is now linked to his return to the Rangers
Stephen Gerrard admits he wants to return to management as it is tied to the free position of the Rangers. Liverpool legend enjoyed a three-year, successful stint in charge of the Scottish giant at the start of his management career, leading him to the 2021 premiership title.
Such success saw him being headhunted at Aston Villa in November 2021, but he lasted only 11 months during his disappointing stint at Villa Park.
Gerard then moved to the Saudi Arab League controversially as he took over with Al Ettifak in July 2023, but resigned from the post just 18 months later.
read more: Trent Alexander Arnold is already making his feelings clear as the Liverpool agreement arrivesread more: Arsenal’s huge “£500 million Emirates Stadium Plan” is revealed when Wembley moves to the card
Having lost his job since January and was a guest on the latest episode of the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, Gerrard revealed that he has received many offers to return to management just because the timing is incorrect.
However, the timing at 45 was not appropriate, but he claims he wants to return to the dugout as it is tied to his return to Ibrox.
“Part of me feels there’s a bit of unfinished business in that I want to face another exciting challenge,” he admitted to former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on the Rio Ferdinand podcast. “But I want a certain type of challenge.
“When they become available in an ideal world, I will jump on them, or I will not return.
“I think certain jobs and certain clubs fit my style and the way I want to do it, but I’m also in places where I’m not in a hurry right now.
“They are the people I need to find because I know that if I get the right match with the people around me, I have proven that I can be a successful manager.
“But I have had five or six very interesting calls since I stopped by the Saudi Arabia.
“And the timing wasn’t right. My daughter had a baby. I’ve just become a grandfather. I wasn’t ready. The staff wasn’t ready.
“Unfortunately, they are coming at the wrong time, and their calls.
“But the right phone call was my way, the right club, the right challenge, and I set my people.
Gerrard also reflected on his management career so far as he revealed why his time with the Rangers was successful, but things didn’t go well at Aston Villa.
“The first thing I’m trying to do is know where I’m strong and I know there are areas where I need good support. I need a special skill set to make me better and stronger from a staff and group perspective,” he explained. “It felt like I had it on the Rangers tee, and I had it on the tee.
“I don’t think it helped me from a personal perspective as Aston Villa and many of the Saudi coaches have changed.
“When I stopped playing football, it was a huge blank for me, and despite knowing my body was ready to pack up, I really wanted to be.
“So I was probably ready at the time. I missed it every day. And I still missed it as a player. And I qualify for a badge when I entered my 30s. And I ended up getting my professional license.
“I went to the Academy in Liverpool and I enjoyed it a lot. But it was the managing side that I enjoyed. A one-on-one motivational player. I thought I could make a difference from the player to get more from that individual player.
“Then I got the opportunity to go to Rangers and I loved it. Ranger, I felt it was the perfect match, and it continued from there.
“I’ve really enjoyed the journey so far. Of course I had some tough moments and lost my job at Aston Villa. This was really tough because I felt the last six or seven games were really tough.
“It’s frustrating when you’re in that position. When you’re doing your best, you’re doing more. You’re working hard, you’re doing more and you can’t pull it back.
“The Saudi Arabia experience, I love it. I really loved it because I got the opportunity to learn with a coach. Different kinds of pressure, different types of pressure.
“There is still a different type of demand for clubs that we still wanted to win, and there is an increasing demand for cooperativeness that can evolve and grow as coaches.
“I’ve been in Liverpool for a long time and really enjoy the different cultures, and I’m living apart because I’m taking myself and my family out of my comfort zone.”
He continued. “It was really tough at the end because it felt like we were in control of it for the first six months of the villa.
“The statistics were saying that if you liked, we had them in the top 8. The nine teams in the league were filmed at age 17.
“But I quickly controlled it and it got worse quickly and found it difficult to get it back, which was tough and frustrating.
“But this is the difference between players and managers. It’s a completely different role. You manage the dressing room. You manage the character and personality.
“The three different groups I had were all different. Different traits, different groups. Very different.
“So managing and mentoring three different groups was fascinating, and so far I love it.
“I want to change a few things, improve a few things and get back to fresh. There are a few different people around me. I love the different challenges that do this.
“And that’s what I’m working on in the background at the moment. A few different ideas, a few different people around me.”
Listen to the full Rio of Steven Gerrard’s interview on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Join the new WhatsApp community and receive a daily amount of mirror football content. We also treat community members with special offers, promotions and advertising. If you don’t like our community, you can always check out. If you are interested, you can read the privacy notice.
Sky Sports Discount Premier League and EFL Packages
£43
£35
Sky
Get the deal here
Sky has cut the prices of Essential TV and Sky Sports bundles ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering over 1,400 live matches in the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League matches next season, showing an even greater increase of up to 100.
