Steven Gerrard is the buzzword at Liverpool after having been appointed as the head coach of the under 18 team. This is a major step in the direction of the Liverpool legend becoming a manager one day. Gerrard went on to discuss his style in management, and he says that he wants the under-18 team to become more physical in order to cope with the demands of the Premier League. After having played under several great managers like Rafa Benitez and Kenny Dalglish, Gerrard is well placed to choose a path that may reap him rewards in the future.
Jurgen Klopp watched the former Liverpool midfielder return to the club as a coach back in February. He recently ended his playing days after the conclusion of his contract with LA Galaxy. The German says that it is a win-win situation for everyone. He said:
“[It’s] the best news, actually.
“I really remember when we spoke for the first time about his future role in the club and asked him what he wants to do and what his idea is.
“It was pretty clear quickly that he wants to be a manager in the future and that’s a fantastic thing. He has all he needs to be a good manager and if he gives himself the time to learn the job, because that’s what you have to do, then everything will be good in the end.”
Apart from gaining experience as a manager at a youth team level, Gerrard will also be able to take charge of the senior team one day. He appears to be following the route of Pep Guardiola – an iconic midfielder who took charge of the youth teams at Barcelona before progressing to the senior team.
Klopp Continued,
“Starting in a club like Liverpool as a U18 manager is a fantastic opportunity but, first of all, not all former world-class players are ready to do this and when I saw the excitement in his eyes, I was really happy about it, about giving him this opportunity. That’s a classic win-win situation.”
There is already hope that Gerrard can go on to match the success of Guardiola at Barcelona. With years and years of managerial experience, the former Barcelona midfielder was able to inspire his players to great things. Similarly, Zinedine Zidane has also been groomed by Real Madrid in order to coach the first team and he won the Champions League in his first season at the club.
After having lifted every honour as a player, apart from the Premier League, Gerrard will command instant respect at any level of the game and it will be more pronounced with regard to the youth setup. However, the youngsters will be able to use the former Liverpool star as an example and try to feature regularly for the senior team. It has been a while since Liverpool produced youngsters like Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher.
Klopp may be doing a great job with the club and Liverpool may be on course for a Champions League return. But the future is likely to be with Gerrard in the dugout. Liverpool have previously experienced a lot of success with Kenny Dalglish, and it would not be surprising to see Gerrard follow the same steps. However, it may take a couple of years before Gerrard makes the progression to become the first-team manager.
