John Barnes insists Rangers boss Steven Gerrard can only truly test himself in the Premier League.
The former Liverpool captain was surprisingly linked with the vacant Everton manager's job on Tuesday.
His old Merseyside foes have been left without a manager after Real Madrid swooped in to snatch Carlo Ancelotti.
And reports down south then claimed Gerrard would be discussed as an option at Goodison Park.
Ex-Celtic manager and Liverpool star Barnes reckons the 41-year-old's stock is high enough for a Premier League job after winning the Premiership title unbeaten last season.
And he's adamant it's only by returning to England can Gerrard progress his career, although is unconvinced Everton is a realistic proposition for an Anfield icon.
Barnes told BettingOdds.com : “I can yes because we all know that the Premier League is the place to manage. Steven is ambitious and he may be able to win the league or finish second in Scotland every year, but to test yourself you have to come back down south. That’s obvious.
“Regarding which Premier League side he could manage, that all depends when an opportunity presents itself and how well he’s doing at that point in time, but of course if he wanted to come to the Premier League right now then his stock is very high.
“If he waits another year and Rangers finish second in the league and they’re 20 points behind Celtic then maybe his stock won’t be so high. So it’s difficult to say whether I can see Stevie managing Liverpool or any other Premier League club, but the time for it to happen would be now.
“Rangers were of course unbeaten, they won the SPL and they did really well. Timing is really important when it comes to management, so it may be the best time for Steven to come to the Premier League, but is there a club available for him now? There probably isn’t.”
