Liverpool legend Phil Thompson thinks Steven Gerrard still has a chance of getting the top job at Anfield - despite his humbling Aston Villa failure.
Last week Gerrard was sacked by Villa just minutes after their thumping 3-0 defeat away at Fulham. The Kop icon had only been in charge for less than a year, having swapped Glasgow for Birmingham at the end of 2021.
But his decision to leave Rangers - where he won the Scottish Premiership title - backfired, leaving his hopes of one-day managing Liverpool in doubt. But Thompson, who won three European Cups during his time as a player and then went on to be an assistant to Gerard Houllier, thinks he will still have an opportunity.
"I'm not surprised Steven Gerrard's no longer in charge of Aston Villa. The Fulham defeat in the week was win or bust and it didn't go Villa's way, although the sending off didn't help!" Thompson told Paddy Power.
"He was living on the edge and he needed a massive result to keep his job. Once the fans turn – like they did at Villa – it's very hard to get them back on board.
"Steven is a good manager. What he did at Rangers was really impressive. There will be plenty more jobs coming up in the Premier League come December and January."
He added: "This Villa situation will slightly affect his chances of replacing Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool but there will always be that opportunity for him to take over at Anfield because of his Liverpool history.
"We've got Pep Lijnders there who could be the next Liverpool manager after Klopp but Steven could land the role in the future."
Current Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp admitted he had held talks with the club's former captain in the wake of his dismissal and backed him to bounce back in the future.
"I'm very sure he will come back," Klopp said last week. "When he was at the academy we obviously created a bit of a close relationship and I always followed him. We had a little exchange this morning but nothing too deep, not a long conversation.
"I can imagine it's disappointing for him because of the ambitions he had, but I don't think we have to worry about Stevie. He knows the game long enough and these kind of things can happen."
However, the German does think Gerrard needs some time away from the game, added: "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."
Gerrard opened up on his "regrettable" stint with the Midlands club with a statement released on social media.
"To the fans, it is regrettable that it didn't work out in the end, but I owe you a debt of gratitude for the way you welcomed me into your club, and continued to push the team on during difficult times. Aston Villa is a club with a special history, I really wanted to bring back those memorable achievements, unfortunately, it wasn't to be."
