Steven Gerrard could replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool 'as early as 2022', says pundit Paul Merson.
Aston Villa appointed former Reds captain Gerrard as manager on Thursday to replace the departed Dean Smith.
The Liverpool legend had a successful three-and-a-half-year spell at Rangers and has now made the switch to the Premier League with Villa.
But, according to Merson, he could return to his beloved Reds much sooner than expected.
Reds boss Klopp is currently under contract at the club until 2024 and is not expected to leave anytime before then.
However, the former Arsenal and Villa star claims 'stranger things have happened'.
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"Aston Villa is a stepping stone to Liverpool for Steven Gerrard," Merson wrote in his column for the Daily Star .
"And if things go his way he could even be at Anfield this time next year. Stranger things have happened.
"Sitting here today you would you think he's got no chance of being Liverpool manager next season.
"But things change quickly in football. If you'd said to me this time last year that Dean Smith would be out of a job I'd have said no chance.
"It's all about timing. If Liverpool start next season badly or Jurgen Klopp wakes up one morning and decides to walk away, who else are they going to go for?"
Despite a lot of the talk around his appointment at Villa being a potential 'stepping stone' to the Liverpool job, Gerrard is completely focused on the task at hand.
“Aston Villa is a club with a rich history and tradition in English football and I am immensely proud to become its new head coach,” he told Aston Villa’s club website on Thursday.
“In my conversations with Nassef, Wes and the rest of the board, it was apparent how ambitious their plans are for the club and I am looking forward to helping them achieve their aims."
