Villa fans shouldn’t think Gerrard to Liverpool is a certainty. He must win a trophy or get in top four... that will take some doing

I DOUBT that Steven Gerrard is losing much sleep about what fans of clubs past and present think of him right now.

He won’t have been happy leaving Rangers fans in the lurch. He will have understood the scepticism among some Aston Villa supporters who have swapped a local hero for someone who has yet to manage a game in England.

And he probably shared the fears of those Kopites who worry that Jurgen Klopp’s chosen heir could screw it all up by failing at Villa.

But judging by how energised he looked on the training ground this week, any regrets, doubts or fears appear to be behind him.

And his battle cry about thriving on pressure and risk seems genuine.

I’m sure he has occasionally questioned his decision in 2005 to reject a move to become a serial champion at Chelsea or Real Madrid.

Back then, the 25-year-old could not cut the umbilical cord with the club he’d been at since boyhood. But he clearly won’t let sentiment block his ambitions again. However, if I were a Villa fan, I wouldn’t be overly-worried about Gerrard (below) scarpering to Anfield in June 2024 to replace the outgoing Jurgen Klopp, as it is far from a certainty.

Liverpool’s owners FSG (Fenway Sports Group) don’t follow fan wishes, accepted wisdom or nostalgia.

They were callous with another Anfield icon, Kenny Dalglish, when they sacked him back in 2012 after he guided the Reds to two cup finals, winning one. Brendan Rodgers went achingly close to winning Liverpool a first title in 24 years but was quickly discarded when Klopp became available. Instead FSG do numbers.

And they may already have run them on Klopp’s muchrespected assistant Pep Lijnders and seen a natural successor, as they have with Julian Ward, who will step up as sporting director when Michael Edwards leaves next summer. Maybe they will try to woo Bayern Munich’s Julian Nagelsmann, a big success at RB Leipzig, whose playing and recruitment model have much in common with FSG’s. The Villa job is a big step up for Gerrard (below with Klopp) yet one that he had to take if he wants to prove himself as a top manager. To be judged a success at ambitious Villa he needs either to win a trophy or get them into the Champions League. But, looking at their current position and the calibre of managers at the top of the Premier League, that will take some doing.

It took Gerrard three full seasons to get Rangers to where he wanted them to be and there are only two-anda-half before Klopp leaves Liverpool. It would be remarkable if Gerrard wasn’t still in a major building job at Villa by then. But nobody will know this more than the former Kop skipper, who may be playing the long game for the job he’s declared he wants “1,000 percent.”

He will be only 44 when Klopp leaves in June 2024. The German was 48 when he took over at Anfield. Why not keep learning on the job at Villa and let someone else step into Klopp’s considerable shoes and possibly struggle, as often happens in the shadow of coaching geniuses.

Gerrard is aware of the pressure on fan favourites returning as managers.

He will remember Graeme Souness flopping at Liverpool and Frank Lampard at Chelsea, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer struggling at Manchester United, and be wary about trading on the club-legend ticket until he’s proven himself to be better than all the non-legends. As will FSG.

If I was a gambler I’d put money on Gerrard being the first English manager to lift the Premier League title, but if I was a Villa fan I wouldn’t be fooled by the notion that he’s nailed-on to succeed Klopp in 30 months’ time.