Liverpool may have endured a stuttering start to their season, but a resurfaced interview given by Steven Gerrard would suggest Jurgen Klopp's position is secure.
Klopp has been in his post as Reds boss for seven years, leading them to winning the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup. But they are battling to save their season after losing two successive top-flight games to leave them 15 points adrift of leaders Arsenal.
Their dreadful form domestically had led to some whispers that Klopp could even depart Anfield if he was unable to turn things around. A year ago, Gerrard appeared to be the ready-made replacement, having led Rangers to the Scottish Premiership title without losing a game.
As his reputation in Scotland peaked, Gerrard was heavily tipped to eventually take over from Klopp at the club where he became a legend as a player. But in one interview in March 2021. Gerrard moved to shoot down that suggestion by abruptly interrupting an interview.
The question began: "There are a lot of Liverpool fans watching your success..."
But Gerrard then cut in, responding: "The Liverpool fans don't want me to be the manager of Liverpool Football Club. They want Jurgen Klopp to continue to be the Liverpool manager - and I'm totally with all of them.
"We shouldn't talk about this, we have one of the best managers leading our club at the minute, I love him. I hope he stays for a few more years. But I've got a job here. I don't think it's helpful to talk about this and I hope Jurgen stays at Liverpool for many years."
HAVE YOUR SAY! Will Steven Gerrard eventually replace Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool boss? Comment below.
Little has changed in the minds of Reds fans since then, despite their stuttering start to the current campaign. Gerrard's insistence that supporters want Klopp to stay at the club for the foreseeable future still rings true.
That is even more apparent after Gerrard was sacked by Aston Villa, with the Midlands side hovering above the relegation zone. The former Liverpool skipper disappointed during his 11-month reign at Villa Park, with his managerial credentials taking a bad hit.
If he is to eventually replace Klopp, Gerrard will need to rebuild his reputation after his bruising spell in Birmingham. Though Klopp is confident he can bounce back, it is difficult to see a path towards the Anfield dugout.
"I'm very sure he will come back. When he was at the academy we obviously created a bit of a close relationship and I always followed him. I can imagine it's disappointing for him because of the ambitions he had," Klopp said after Gerrard was sacked.
"But I don't think we have to worry about Stevie. He knows the game long enough and these kind of things can happen. We all get knocks here and there - it's about how you respond. A lot of great managers out there had to leave their previous clubs.
"Some of the best did that quite frequently during their career. They turned up somewhere else, learned from it and found a better situation. Now I hope he takes a bit of time for him because, since he finished his career, he's pretty much working all the time. Maybe use it now for himself to recharge."
