Steven Gerrard's achievements at Rangers should not be downplayed - his rise has been nothing short of meteoric.
The former Liverpool captain had zero managerial experience when he arrived at Ibrox and within three years he has stopped a historically dominant Celtic side, claiming the Scottish Premiership this season.
Gerrard will go down in Rangers' record books for sealing their 55th league title and stopping their rivals' Ten in a Row charge in the process.
His track record in Europe shouldn't be underestimated either as he turned a side who were dumped out of the Europa League by Luxembourg minnows Progres Niederkorn in 2017 to a team who reached the last 16 in consecutive seasons in 2019 and 2020.
That success has naturally linked him with taking the Liverpool job one day and it seems like it's a matter of when and not if.
But Jurgen Klopp 's struggles at Anfield this season, coupled with Gerrard's accomplishments have ramped up that talk suggesting it could happen sooner rather than later.
Gerrard has been regularly quizzed about the prospect of returning to his former club, but what exactly has he said and how has it changed as time has gone on?
We've had a look at everything he's said about replacing Klopp and what it tells us about the possibility of it happening.
January 2020
Gerrard was fairly coy on his links with the Liverpool job up until this point, but he was almost forced to respond when Jurgen Klopp said he would the ideal candidate to succeed the German eventually.
Klopp said: "If you ask who should follow me, I’d say Stevie. I help him whenever I can.
“If someone gets your job, it’s not about them, it’s about you not being good enough.
“I’m old enough to know that I give this job everything. I’m not a genius, I’m not perfect, but I give the club 100 per cent. If that’s enough, great. If it’s not, then it’s just the problem of the situation."
Gerrard was then asked about those comments by Jamie Carragher as he joined his old pal on The Greatest Game podcast.
He said: "I wouldn’t take the Liverpool job just because of what Jurgen said.
"I am mature enough to know that I have to be ready for the Liverpool job.
“Just by Jurgen saying it, it’s very flattering because of who he is, and there is a lot of people out there that naturally think that if Jurgen goes in a year or two years’ time, I am next. I don't [think that] and there's a couple of reasons behind it.
“If I stay at Rangers for another two, three or four years I am okay - it means I am doing something right and happy.
"I am in no rush to try and jump, I am not looking over the fence at anything. I am proper content. If Jurgen stays at Liverpool for another four or five years, brilliant.”
December 2020
Speculation certainly grew after those comments but it would only heighten as the year went on as Liverpool struggled in their title defence, while Rangers were on course to run away with the Scottish Premiership.
Gerrard admitted it would be a dream to become Liverpool boss one day, but was adamant Klopp was still the man for the job and that his success as a player at Anfield doesn't automatically guarantee he would eventually replace him.
He said: "Would I love to be the coach of Liverpool one day? Is it a dream? Of course.
“It’s a club that means everything to me but we’ve one of, if not the best, managers in the world who has been absolutely incredible since he came through the door.
“And the success he’s delivered in the last couple of years means that Liverpool are in a fantastic place. Long may that continue.
“I’ve still got ex-team-mates playing in the team and that’s where it is. There’s nothing else to really discuss on it.
"Just because I was a good player for Liverpool and had the career I had there, doesn’t necessarily mean you’re next in line to be manager.
“If one day that job ever becomes available, there will be a queue a mile long, full of top-class managers. It doesn’t mean you’re the best person for the job.”
March 2021
Gerrard was pressed on the topic once again after Rangers were confirmed as champions of Scotland.
Liverpool were, and still are, in a scrap just to make the top four in the Premier League but he distanced himself from the job once again.
He also claimed that Liverpool fans don't want him as their manager and that everyone associated with the club, including himself, is behind Klopp despite his struggles this term.
Gerrard told ITV News : "The Liverpool fans don't want me to be the manager of Liverpool Football Club.
"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 it's 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?
"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."
What it tells us
Gerrard has said all the right things up until this point when he has been asked about the Liverpool job.
He's been clever enough to not say anything hasty that could come back to bite him, while still subtly suggesting it's something he would be open to later down the line.
He's letting his team do the majority of the talking and understands the more experience he gains at Rangers, the better position he'll be in to flourish if the opportunity comes knocking. He's not forcing the issue.
Gerrard doesn't just want to be a Liverpool manager one day, he wants to be a successful one.
