Steven Gerrard Reportedly on Verge of Rangers Appointment

On the cusp of an Old Firm match (in which Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic are, as of this writing, comfortably in control), news has emerged of Steven Gerrard reportedly being close to taking the reins at Rangers. If true, it would be Gerrard’s first managerial appointment outside of the Liverpool structure, and also set the stage for a distinctly Liverpool subplot to the Glaswegian rivalry while former boss Rodgers is still in charge at Celtic.

Though news of the mutual interest between Gerrard and Rangers was heating up earlier in the week, the Scottish Daily Record, BBC Sport, and others, have indicated that further talks between the club and the former Liverpool captain have gone well, and that the Rangers board are looking to unveil a new manager “within days.” Fellow Liverpool legend Gary McAllister is reputedly expected to join Gerrard as assistant manager.

If it happens, Gerrard would be taking over from Graeme Murty, who himself was only appointed in December of last year. Taking the Rangers job at this juncture would be a pretty bold move, even for someone like Gerrard. Rodgers’ Celtic are flying high in the Scottish Premier League as of late, hogging the major honors for grabs in that contest. Rangers, for their part, are stuttering somewhat, and are desperate to secure second place behind their rivals.

Others associated with Liverpool have been encouraging in their statements when asked about what could potentially be Gerrard’s first top flight managerial job. Jürgen Klopp has said that “[w]e will support him in all directions,” while elsewhere Rafa Benitez graciously noted that “[Gerrard’s] understanding of the game is good,” and that “[h]e has had different managers so he will have seen different visions, which is important.”

Gerrard is no stranger to defying the odds, and is clearly interested in jumping headfirst into a managerial role, so the appeal of this job to him is perhaps not surprising. What does this mean for Liverpool? Probably not much for now, beyond having to find someone new at the Academy. Klopp isn’t likely to go away anytime soon, and while Gerrard-as-Liverpool-manager would make for immense headlines at some distant point in the future, it’s not something many are clamoring for at this moment.