Steven Gerrard returned to Anfield on Saturday afternoon not only as the Aston Villa manager but, more importantly, a Liverpool legend.
Participating in the latest instalment of the Legends fixture, the 41-year-old was welcomed with open arms by those in attendance and rolled back the years with an impressive, all-action display in the centre of midfield.
It is no secret that Gerrard is still idolised by the people of Liverpool, with Saturday only reinforcing this point. Swarmed by supporters for signatures prior to kick-off and being the first player to have their chant sung by the Kop set the tone for an afternoon that was very much dictated by the former Reds captain.
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Although unable to return to the club in a playing capacity, becoming the man to replace Jurgen Klopp in 2024 is seen as the obvious next step for many. Gerrard himself has played down talk of taking over in the future, while recognising it remains a 'dream', though Klopp himself is convinced it will 'definitely happen'.
“Yes, I think, absolutely,” said the Reds' boss when quizzed on the matter back in December. “The only problem is when is the right moment for that? We saw it with Frank [Lampard] at Chelsea. He [Gerrard] is doing really well but is very young from a manager’s point of view. When is the right moment to take the manager’s job? Not because he’s not able to do it but how long do you want to do it? Is it the last job you want to do? The second job? Those are questions I can’t answer. But yes, I think it will definitely happen – and that is good for everybody."
Since taking charge of Villa, Gerrard has helped to establish a clear identity to the way the West Midlands side play and continues to demand the highest standards of his players. A European finish is out of the equation for this campaign, with a focus now being placed on securing a top-ten finish ahead of rebuilding job in the summer.
The influence of the ex-England international was recently clear to see as he guided Villa to three successive Premier League wins over Brighton, Southampton and Leeds United - scoring nine goals without reply during this period. Gerrard will be hoping for such performances on a more consistent basis next season, which will represent his first full campaign at Villa Park.
If there is any coach currently operating within football the ex-England international can take inspiration from, he needn't look no further than Xavi at Barcelona. The iconic midfielder has restored a sense of pride, despite being viewed as a risky appointment at first.
Guiding the Spanish giants to seven wins from their last eight matches and remaining undefeated since January, La Blaugrana have reaped the rewards of placing trust in a familiar figure who knows the club inside out and has an effective style of play.
The work of the 2010 World Cup winner has not gone unnoticed by Gerrard, however. Speaking to Barca TV at the weekend, he said: "I think the appointment of Xavi was a masterstroke by Barcelona. It's someone who has got Barcelona in his DNA, has been a world-class player for many years, he knows the style and what all the Barcelona people want to see. After some challenging times, it looks as if they're getting back to where they need to be," he told Barca TV.
"He is someone I have the utmost respect for as a player and I'm obviously watching him as a coach as well," said Gerrard of Xavi. "He is on a similar journey to myself: very young, very new and I'm sure he is learning a lot every day like me. I would like to give him a personal good luck message, I hope he makes it a big success and I would love to see him at Barcelona for many years."
What's clear from these comments is that Gerrard sees a lot of himself in the Barcelona boss as they both look to transfer the skills gained from a career within the game to make their mark as coaches. Xavi spent two years at the helm of Qatari side Al Sadd prior to his Camp Nou appointment, and Gerrard could well be next to make the return to his boyhood club after earning experience at Rangers and Villa.
Both Frank Lampard and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were unable to deliver success at the sides they made names for themselves as players, but Xavi is one individual bucking this trend and could inspire Gerrard to accept a similar challenge at Anfield should the opportunity arise.
