Former Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel has backed Steven Gerrard to become Jurgen Klopp's successor at Anfield once the German departs in 2026..
Klopp extended his contract at the club at the end of April, bringing to an end speculation over his long-term future. Gerrard had been mentioned as a potential candidate to take over the Reds prior to this agreement being reached, though this possibility has been further pushed back.
Approaching his first full season in charge of Aston Villa, Gerrard has overseen some shrewd transfer business and will have hopes of competing for European football following the permanent acquisition of Philippe Coutinho and additional arrivals of Sevilla defender Diego Carlos and Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara.
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Gaining Premier League coaching experience at the West Midlands-based club could prove to be crucial to future hopes of managing his boyhood club, and Skrtel believes it is only a matter of time before Gerrard is appointed at Anfield.
“At the moment we have Jürgen Klopp and he is the best man for the job," the Slovakian told the Times. "I see Stevie as the manager after because he’s getting the experience now. He was in Glasgow [at Rangers] and now he’s in Aston Villa. I hope he can do a good job there and then one day, when Jürgen or Liverpool decide to go a different way and they bring new people in, he will be the one. That would be the perfect way and a perfect step for the club and also for Stevie."
Although the current Villa boss continues to be linked with a return to home, Skrtel admitted his surprise that another one of the Reds' local heroes has not explored the world of football management.
He said: "To be honest with you, I was thinking that [Jamie] Carragher would be the first one [into management]. Everything from when he opened his eyes in the morning until he went to sleep was about football. He would be getting a massage and he was on the phone watching other leagues, watching the Italian league. I was thinking, ‘He will be the one’. I didn’t ever think that he would be involved in these TV shows [punditry] and even a fan of Instagram. He wasn’t a fan of social networking at that time.
“But, yes, Stevie obviously has the personality and also his quality on the pitch. The guy loves football and he understands football.”
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