Jurgen Klopp previously made it clear he thought Steven Gerrard would become the Liverpool manager one day, with his 2021 comments resurfacing after he left Anfield.
Sahil Kurup and Kieran King
11:30, 26 Nov 2025
Ex-Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has spoken about Steven Gerrard. (Image: Getty Images)
Jurgen Klopp spent years side-stepping speculation around his successor at Liverpool. However, he has already made one thing perfectly clear.
Long before announcing his exit, during the 2023/2024 campaign, Klopp openly said he thought Steven Gerrard would one day take the hot-seat, despite the Reds legend having previously detailed his thoughts on becoming Liverpool’s manager.
His endorsement can be traced back to December 2021, when Gerrard was at the helm of Aston Villa and gearing up for his first return to Anfield as a rival coach. When asked directly if the former Liverpool captain could become the Reds’ future manager, Klopp didn’t falter.
“Oh yes I do, absolutely,” Klopp stated at the time. “I believe it will definitely happen. Good for everyone.”
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Klopp’s past comments swiftly resurfaced, once the German confirmed his departure, reigniting chatter about his potential successor. Liverpool eventually opted for Arne Slot in 2024, but Klopp’s words highlighted the esteem in which Gerrard was held within the club during that period.
The timeline behind Klopp’s belief is anchored in Gerrard’s ascent as a coach. After hanging up his boots in 2016 following a spell with LA Galaxy, Gerrard returned to Liverpool to kick-start his managerial career.
He took the reins of the club’s Under-18 team during Klopp’s second full campaign – granting him daily access to Melwood and Liverpool’s senior staff. By 2018, Gerrard had left for Rangers and promptly began transforming the club.
In 2021, he won Rangers’ first Scottish Premiership crown in a decade, bringing Celtic’s streak of nine consecutive titles to an end. That triumph prompted Aston Villa to name him as their manager in November 2021 – with Klopp praising his progress.
Steven Gerrard has often been tipped to take the manager’s job at Liverpool. (Image: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
“Stevie is doing really well, and he’s very young from a manager’s point of view,” Klopp said. “It’s just about when the right moment is for him to take the job.”
Gerrard himself played down suggestions that the Aston Villa fixture served as an “audition,” maintaining he was entirely concentrated on the Premier League encounter.
Klopp also rejected the notion Gerrard required silverware to earn consideration for the future Liverpool position.
“People say you have to win things, but I’m not sure about that,” Klopp said. “It’s more important that the club is stable and the manager improves things. Everything Stevie has done looks like it’s heading in the right direction.”
At that point, Liverpool were embroiled in a fierce title race, positioned second in the Premier League table just one point adrift of Manchester City.
Gerrard, meanwhile, acknowledged he would accept being “not very popular” at Anfield if Aston Villa succeeded in defeating his former side, though the encounter concluded in a 1-0 loss for his team.
Currently, Gerrard remains without a club management position, having recently taken on punditry duties with TNT Sports following his departure from Al-Ettifaq in January 2025.
Meanwhile, Slot’s inaugural campaign at Liverpool yielded the 2024/25 Premier League championship, establishing him as the first Dutch manager to claim the honour.
