Steven Gerrard to Aston Villa gets thumbs up as Rangers boss 'worth the risk'

Steven Gerrard’s possible move to Aston Villa has been given the thumbs up as the English Premier League side prepare to make their move for the Rangers boss.

Ex-Aston Villa player and radio commentator Stan Collymore has given Steven Gerrard the thumbs up. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Former striker turned pundit Stan Collymore, who spent three years at Villa Park in the late 1990s, believes the Liverpool icon is "worth the risk" despite downplaying his achievements in Scottish football.

The three-times capped England forward branded the game north of the border a "two-horse race" but insisted Gerrard's character traits make him an ideal candidate to replace Dean Smith in the West Midlands side's hotseat.

Using an emoji to say "[thumbs up] from me", Collymore added: "Winner, ruthless, learned a lot at Rangers even in a 2 horse race.

"He'll be average or special at Villa but not poor because he never has been. Worth the risk for potential reward.

"Don't want to hear LFC stepping stone cobblers, we've earned our status over 150 yrs."

Reports suggest Villa could make a move for the Ibrox manager as early as today, however, at close of play on Tuesday, Rangers had yet to receive an official approach for permission to speak to Gerrard.

He is believed to be the number one target for Villa chief executive Christian Purslow, who has a previous working relationship with Gerrard from his playing days at Liverpool, when Purslow was managing director at Anfield.

Gerrard has a contract running to 2024 at Ibrox, having signed an extension to his original four-year deal in December 2019 before leading Rangers to last season’s Premiership title, but Villa are said to be keen on an appointment before their next fixture against Brighton on November 20.

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