Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
STEVIE GER THE CHOSEN ONE
Carragher: Gerrard next in Anfield line of succession because he WILL be a great manager, not because he WAS a great player
JAMIE CARRAGHER claims Steven Gerrard is seen as Jurgen Klopp’s long-term successor because of his achievements rather than his name.
Rangers boss Gerrard is tipped to replace Klopp when the German eventually decides to leave Liverpool. But Carragher insists that is not just because his old pal is a Liverpool legend.
He says it is down to the progress Gerrard is making at Rangers as he bids to end Celtic’s dominance and land their first title since 2011.
“With managers it’s all about timing, really,” said the Anfield great. “Who knows when
Jurgen Klopp is going to go?
“Stevie will be bang in the reckoning because he is Steven Gerrard. But, more importantly, because he is doing really well as a manager.
“There’s no doubt that the more experience he has will enhance his managerial career, but there’s nothing to say he couldn’t go straight from Rangers to Liverpool.
“I can assure you now, however, that Steven Gerrard’s focus is on trying to stop Celtic winning nine in a row and on being successful at Ibrox.”
Rangers lead Celtic in the Scottish Premiership race and Carragher says Gerrard is prepared to put in the hard work as a coach rather than rely on his name to get him through. “He wouldn’t take short-cuts,” said Carragher (below). “He’s a massive name and a lot of people in his position might think they don’t need to do coaching courses or whatever. But he does it properly.
“He just has that stature. He is Steven Gerrard. When he walks into a room, you feel that presence.”
The pair were reunited when they played in a Legends match at Ibrox on Saturday and Carragher says Gerrard has the same strong bond with the Rangers fans that he had with the Kop during the 17 successful years at Anfield that saw him lift the Champions League in 2005.
Gerrard played a half each for the Liverpool and Rangers Legends and Carragher said: “I know myself from Liverpool how it feels when the manager has the crowd and the players pulling together. It feels like that at Rangers when I watch them. “I see all the videos of Steven and the players celebrating a big result. There is a togetherness there.
“You could feel the connection he has with the supporters even during the Legends game. He has got the crowd in the palm of his hand and I’m sure it will be the same in the dressing room. “We all know the personality and character he had as a player, so you can imagine the messages
Steven delivers and the way he delivers them.
“He will be putting a bit of himself into those players. That’s what great managers do.”