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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Mark Wakefield

New Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard has already made his stance on replacing Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool clear

Steven Gerrard has been appointed as the new manager of Aston Villa - a move that could help him one day take over from Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool boss.

The Anfield great has signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with Villa, who were looking for a new manager after sacking Dean Smith.

It will be the first time that Gerrard has managed in the Premier League after spending the last three years in Scotland with Rangers.

The 41-year-old has been widely praised for the work he has done with the Scottish giants, who last season won their first Scottish Premiership title in a decade.

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Throughout his successful time at Rangers, Gerrard has been asked about the possibility of succeeding Klopp and managing Liverpool in the future.

The former England international left the Reds as a legend in 2015, after scoring 186 goals in 710 appearances, but returned in 2017 to manage the club's Under-18 side.

After a year at Kirkby, Gerrard got his first job in senior football management with Rangers in 2018.

The work he has done in Glasgow has led to him getting the Villa role - and now all eyes will be on how he performs in the Premier League.

Jurgen Klopp’s contract as Liverpool manager runs out in 2024 - and it has often been speculated that Gerrard, whose Villa deal will run until 2025, could be the man to succeed the German.

Gerrard, in fact, addressed such rumours earlier this year, as he outlined his stance on replacing Klopp when the time comes.

"The Liverpool fans don't want me to be the manager of Liverpool Football Club," Gerrard told ITV News back in March. "They want Jurgen Klopp to continue as manager and I am totally with all of them. I wish you knew how much we loved Jurgen Klopp.

"We have one of the best managers leading our club at the minute. I love him and we hope he stays for a few more years. I've got a job here, I don't think its helpful to talk about this - I hope Jurgen stays at Liverpool for many years.

"Liverpool is my club. I had a fantastic journey as a player. I'm doing a completely different career path now. I'm happy in the job and role I'm in now.

"Is it a dream for me to one day be the Liverpool manager? Yes, it is. But not yet and who's to say I'll ever be good enough? Who says I'll be the owners' choice?

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"There's a lot of managers on this planet who would all like the chance to manage Liverpool.

"I think we need to respect the guy that's in charge first and foremost because he's done an incredible job.

"He's taken me to places in the last two or three years which have been incredible. The feeling. Me, my family and all the Liverpool supporters would all back that up.

"For me, let's just get behind Jurgen."

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