Steven Gerrard sent football sleuths in to overdrive with a trip to Turkey that looked to be linked with a return to the dugout.
The former Rangers boss was spotted amid swirling links to Turkish giants Galatasaray following his short-lived stint in the dugout at Aston Villa. Gerrard left Rangers in November 2021 and was replaced by Gio Van Bronckhorst who also lost his job around the year mark at Ibrox while the Liverpool icon edged out of Villa Park.
The Polish national side seemed a potential destination for the Anfield icon before a visit to Turkey sent the rumour mill running wild but now the true nature of Gerrard's trip to the Middle East has been revealed. Ahead of this season's Champions League final, ironically in Istanbul where Gerrard had his crowing moment as a player, the former Gers boss has been filming an advert for Turkish Airlines alongside AC Milan rival and Brazilian legend Cafu.
The two squared off on that famous night in 2005 with Rafa Benitez's men pulling off one of the competition's biggest fairytales, a game still talked about to this day. The ad hilariously shows the pair meeting up on a flight bound for Istanbul with the trophy, sitting next to Gerrard taking up a seat for defender Cafu who asks 'Is this yours'.
The footballing heroes then go fishing and city hopping to promote the country's top places to visit ahead of the showpiece final on June 10. A comical moment comes when Gerrard struggles to pronounce the name of a local dish and is corrected by a waitress.
The pair then compete for who can sign the most autographs before sitting together seemingly to enjoy the upcoming final. It remains to be seen when and where Gerrard next's big move will come.
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