The Liverpool icon swapped Ibrox for Villa Park and a crack at the Premier League in 2021
Former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard appears on The Overlap
Former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard appears on The Overlap
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Former boss Steven Gerrard concedes that he should have stayed with Rangers to gain more experience before jumping to Aston Villa.
The Liverpool icon steered Rangers back to the summit of Scottish football in 2021 - before leaving to take his chance in the Premier League later that year.
Since then, The Light Blues have failed to bring the Premiership title back to Ibrox since with Celtic resuming their domination of Scottish football.
But things haven't worked out much better for Gerrard in his management career, after he was shown the door at Villa Park after less than a year in the hot seat.
He would try his luck in the Saudi Pro League by joining Al-Ettifaq. However, he has been out of work since January 2025, after leaving the club in the midst of a relegation scrap.
In October last year, Gerrard was in talks with Rangers owners Andrew Cavenagh and Paraag Marathe of 49ers Enterprises about the prospect of replacing Russell Martin, but walked away from a blockbuster return to the Glasgow giants after several rounds of discussions.
He has now conceded that he would advise the next generation of bosses to get more matches in the dugout under their belts before jumping to the English top flight.
Asked if a move south was "fast-tracked", Gerrard admitted to Sky Bet: “Yes, possibly. I would accept that opinion. It's open to debate, because I'd done three and a half years in Scotland.
“My argument, my side, would be, well, how long do you do? But in hindsight now, for my own personal development and the decisions I made, I probably would have done more games in Scotland, or looked for something in between the Scotland level, with all due respect, before I went to the Premier League level.
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - MAY 15: Rangers Manager Steven Gerrard lifts the trophy during the Scottish Premiership match between Rangers and Aberdeen on May 15, 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Steven Gerrard led Rangers to title glory in 2021(Image: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
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“Because what I realised in my experience of being the Villa manager was, from a coaching perspective, when you're on your own or with your group of staff, it's a lot more brutal than when you play as a player.
“It can unravel extremely fast. It can shock you. So my advice to coaches, I don't know whether the likes of Frank (Lampard) and Michael (Carrick) agree with this, is experience is key.
"Get as many games as a coach and a manager as you possibly can before your opportunity comes.
“In my shoes, at that moment when Villa came, you're also thinking, could this be your only opportunity? So it's difficult and it's challenging. It pulls you in different ways. But in hindsight, if I could have my time again, I would get another couple of hundred games in.
“I'm just thinking about the likes of Sam Allardyce now, and Harry Redknapp, and Alan Pardew, ex-managers, my coaches, thinking, he's saying the right thing there, because you can't fast-track experience.
"You've got to go and get those games and those experiences and learn and grow. But these opportunities come, and when you get the call, you have to make that decision in the moment."