Gerrard was the frontrunner to replace Russell Martin before Danny Rohl's arrival last month
09:28, 10 Nov 2025
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Former Liverpool player and Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard
Former Rangers assistant Gary McAllister has revealed an Ibrox return for Steven Gerrard didn't get close enough that the boss planned a backroom team.
Before the appointment of Danny Rohl, Gerrard was locked in talks with chairman Andrew Cavenagh and Paraag Marathe of 49ers Enterprises but walked away after several rounds of discussions.
The Liverpool icon – who ended Celtic's stranglehold on the Scottish Premiership by bringing the title to Ibrox in 2021 – has since admitted nagging doubts forced him to step away from a stunning return to Glasgow.
And McAllister – who worked alongside Gerrard and Michael Beale in the dugout during the 55-winning success – has offered the inside track on his conversations with the 45-year-old.
He explains that Gerrard is still eyeing a return to the dugout in the UK after a nightmare spell in the Saudi Pro League at Al-Ettifaq.
The Scotland legend told the Liverpool Echo: "I'm never presumptuous, but there was no (call about Rangers).
"Obviously, I've spoken to him, I speak to him regularly, you know, during this period, being over in the Middle East and stuff, but they weren't quite close enough to having that chat.
"We had a fantastic time When we went up to Glasgow Rangers, it went ever so well. There was a definite job brief going in there. And I thought Steven in his first job did brilliantly well.
"Villa didn't go as well as we wished it to go. Again, it's like any of the little theories that come up with, because it went wrong, tends to sound a wee bit like excuses. So I won't go down that road.
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"It just didn't work. The signings we made got injured very early. And it just, we had a couple of bad results.
"But then moving on, going over to Saudi, that was just too far to go away from my family.
"But back home, you never say never. I'm never presumptuous to think that because we did well four or five years ago at Glasgow Rangers that I'd get the call. But as you know, I'm very close to Steven.
"I've seen a few of his recent interviews, and obviously speaking to him over the last couple of years when he was over in Saudi, I don't think he's lost the hunger to go back in.
"I can see it in his eye as well. So I think, come the right moment, the right sort of job, somewhere where there's a chance of making something happen, I'm sure he would be a willing listener."
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