Harry Redknapp has picked who he believes should be Jurgen Klopp’s successor at Liverpool
It’s the question that continues to linger in the background: Just who will be the next manager of Liverpool?
It is to Jurgen Klopp and his squad’s great credit that the revelation that the legendary boss will be leaving Anfield at the end of the season has not impacted their quest for an unprecedented quadruple.
With the Carabao Cup already in the bag, the Reds turn their attention to the Europa League tonight when they face Sparta Prague in the first leg of the round-of-16 tie between the teams. The Premier League leaders will then return to Merseyside ahead of Sunday’s huge domestic showdown with title rivals Manchester City.
With Liverpool also through to the FA quarter-finals, where they will face Manchester United, it is shaping up to be an incredible end to Klopp’s near nine-year reign. But it’s against that backdrop that the club’s owners FSG must find his replacement.
Xabi Alonso, who won the Champions League with the Reds in 2005 and is performing miracles in charge of Bayer Leverkusen, is the favourite. Ruben Amorim, the highly rated manager of Sporting CP, is also said to be in the running, while Brighton & Hove Albion’s Roberto De Zerbi and current Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann have been linked, too.
One man who isn’t expected to replace Klopp is Steven Gerrard, who is arguably the greatest player in Liverpool’s history. Currently in charge of Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq, he is rebuilding his managerial reputation after being sacked by Aston Villa.
However, former Tottenham Hotspur and Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp believes Gerrard should be the Reds’ next manager. Speaking to BetVictor, Redknapp said: “I’m going to say somebody and people are going to think that I’m off my head, but I would give it to Steven Gerrard.
“I know people will say that he was a failure at Aston Villa and it didn’t go great there, but he’s a Liverpool man and was an incredible player for them. He’s got passion for the game and I used to listen to him speak when he was at Rangers and always thought he was going to be top drawer. I would love to see him manage Liverpool.
“Xabi Alonso would be a good choice as well but there’s every chance he will go to Bayern Munich – they’re a massive club as well who managed to get Harry Kane to leave the Premier League last summer. I know I’m probably not in the majority when I say it should be Steven Gerrard but I’ve still got belief in him – I don’t write people off.
“You need the right players in order to perform well as a manager. Look at Unai Emery at Aston Villa – he went to Arsenal and was no good but has gone to Villa and is doing a great job. It’s a different club with different players and the circumstances are different – it just worked for him there. I’m in Steven Gerrard’s corner for this one.”
