‘Inevitable’ Rangers boss Steven Gerrard will leave for Liverpool

Jamie Redknapp says his old team-mate will take over from Jurgen Klopp

Steven Gerrard is destined to take over from Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool boss, says Jamie Redknapp. Picture: Ian MacNicol/Getty

Jamie Redknapp believes it is inevitable that his former Liverpool and England team-mate Steven Gerrard will succeed Jurgen Klopp as manager at Anfield.

Ever since he moved into management two years ago when he took charge at Rangers, Gerrard has been widely touted for a return to the club where he attained legendary status as a player.

Despite the failure so far to end Celtic’s monopoly of winning domestic silverware in Scottish football, Redknapp feels the improvements made at the Ibrox club over the past two seasons provide evidence that Gerrard possesses all the qualities necessary to succeed as a manager at the highest level.

“Stevie is in Scotland and doing well,” said Redknapp. “Yes, it’s not easy [for him] because Celtic are so strong. But Stevie has got it [as a manager], you can see that.

“I think after a few years at Rangers, and as long as he doesn’t make too many mistakes, it’s only a question of time before he manages Liverpool when Jurgen Klopp decides to go.”

Redknapp was speaking on the latest episode of The Lockdown Tactics podcast, co-hosted by former Scotland internationals Kris Boyd and Robert Snodgrass, which goes live at 12 noon today.

While he has great faith in Gerrard’s potential as a manager, Redknapp admits he initially harboured doubts over whether it was a career choice the 39-year-old would make when he finished his playing career in 2016.

Now involved in the game as a TV pundit with Sky Sports, Redknapp had anticipated both his cousin Frank Lampard and Gerrard joining him in that line of work on a long-term basis.

“I wasn’t sure if Stevie would go into management,” added Redknapp. “It’s a bit like Frank.

“They’ve both had great careers [as players], won everything, and I could see them just doing punditry, taking the easy option. But they haven’t, they’ve gone in at the sharp end [with Rangers and Chelsea].”

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