Could Liverpool legend still work his way back?

When Steven Gerrard bid farewell to Liverpool in 2015, as he joined the LA Galaxy, the expectation was that a Merseyside native would return home at some point. He did just that when stepping into coaching.

Another move away from Anfield was made in 2018, with the managerial reins being inherited at Rangers. With title glory being savoured in Glasgow, it was once again suggested that Gerrard’s career would eventually come full circle.

For many, the ex-England captain was a Liverpool boss in the making. The odd stumble has been endured since then in Premier League and Saudi Pro League dugouts. Gerrard has not returned to square one, but neither is he on a path that leads towards L4.

Iconic figure

An iconic figure in English football has been advised to take a step backwards in order to move forwards. Frank Lampard has shown at Coventry, who are 1/5 for promotion in Championship betting markets, that reputations can be rebuilt.

Gerrard’s name still holds plenty of weight, with football bets putting him in the running for many prominent posts within the Football League. There would be no shame in taking inspiration from former Three Lions colleague Lampard.

If success can be enjoyed in the EFL ranks, then Premier League clubs will inevitably come calling again. Football can be a fickle business and it does not take long for supposed failings to be forgotten in a cutthroat ‘what have you done for me lately’ environment.

Words of encouragement have previously been offered by fellow Reds greats, with John Aldridge saying of Gerrard’s bid to prove his worth as a manager: “What he has learned he will take to a more competitive league, with better players and better football, and then all of sudden it can all come together and explode. It could work and happen for him.”

If the Anfield icon can rediscover the formula that delivered initial promise at Ibrox, then talk of a Reds reunion would soon resurface.

Gerrard may have found the going tough at Aston Villa and Al-Ettifaq, but he has not become a bad coach overnight. He has shown during regular spots of punditry that he still talks a good game and has lost none of his appetite for the game.

Ultimate goal

Professional ties to Liverpool will never be broken, wherever he goes and whatever he does, and retracing steps to his roots remains the ultimate goal. Jurgen Klopp is among those to have backed Gerrard to complete that journey.

The Reds’ former Premier League and Champions League-winning boss has said of a man that he once passed a captain’s armband to following in illustrious footsteps: “I'm very sure he will come back. 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 for different reasons.”

Gerrard was never the kind to back down from a challenge in his playing days, and that mentality is not about to change after becoming a coach. With that in mind, it would be foolish to write off another emotional homecoming.