Burnley FC have been in managerial limbo for over a month now, with the club still seemingly nowhere closer to announcing the long-term replacement for Scott Parker at Turf Moor.
The Clarets' latest relegation from the Premier League seemed a formality for large parts of the 2025/26 season, and it was mathematically confirmed after a 1-0 defeat to Manchester City in late April, with Michael Jackson left to take the reins on an interim basis yet again after Parker's exit from the East Lancashire club by mutual agreement was swiftly confirmed.
Such developments mean that, for the third successive Championship season in Burnley's lengthy history, they will begin with a new manager or head coach following the previous appointments of Parker and his predecessor, Vincent Kompany - now of Bayern Munich - after relegations in 2022 and 2024 respectively.
As such, while some have already put their necks on the line when it comes to early predictions for the 2026/27 second tier campaign, forecasting the North West outfit's fortunes are rather impossible at this moment in time due to the aforementioned uncertainty in the dugout, as well as which players will remain a part of the latest rebuild as exit talk surrounds the likes of Kyle Walker, Maxime Esteve and top scorer, Zian Flemming in particular.
It has already been confirmed that both Rob Edwards and Nuno Espírito Santo will be staying to take charge of fellow newly-relegated sides, Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United respectively, whilst one man who continues to be linked with the Turf Moor vacancy long into the summer is former Liverpool and England midfielder, Steven Gerrard.
However, when asked what the future holds on that front on TNT Sports, the 46-year-old remained fairly tight-lipped.
Steven Gerrard answers latest managerial return question amid Burnley FC links
Steven Gerrard
Gerrard, of course, was part of the broadcasting organisation's coverage for Saturday's dramatic UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal in Budapest, which the French side and 2025 winners won on penalties.
It has been over a year, though, since the Liverpudlian was last seen in a dugout, as his spell in charge of Saudi Pro League outfit, Al-Ettifaq, came to an end in January 2025 after moving to the Middle East in July 2023.
Plenty of comparisons, as was the case during his playing days, have been drawn between Gerrard and Frank Lampard, with the latter currently the Championship title-holding manager after his success at Coventry City, whilst the former has been heavily linked with a move to Burnley as the two sides swap places in the English pyramid.
The former midfielder had also been linked with a shock return to Scottish Premiership giants, Rangers, where he won the title in 2020/21, as well as Bristol City, before the Robins recently moved to appoint Lincoln City's League One-winning boss, Michael Skubala, on a three-year contract at Ashton Gate.
However, as links between the two clubs fail to dissipate, Gerrard said of his latest managerial prospects: "Who knows? You never shut a door.
"I'm enjoying my work-life balance.
"Coaching's tough. It's challenging. I've had some really big opportunities and enjoyed a lot of it," he added.
"But, at the moment, family time, TNT, other bits, and travelling.
"(I'm) getting lots of time with my kids, which I missed while I've been coaching.
"At the moment, I'd say 'maybe'," Gerrard clarified.
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Burnley's other potential managerial candidates after Steven Gerrard hint
Brian Barry-Murphy
Of course, Gerrard isn't the only name with strong links to the Burnley hotseat at this moment in time, with Brian Barry-Murphy of Cardiff City and former Clarets assistant, Craig Bellamy, also falling into said category.
However, the latter, who was also an Anfield teammate of Gerrard's, has seemingly put those rumours to bed ahead of Wales' upcoming friendly with Ghana at the Cardiff City Stadium, with his contract with the FAW expiring in 2028, after the UEFA European Championship which will take place in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.
Regardless, though, it is a situation which is undoubtedly frustrating some of the locals in East Lancashire ahead of another critical season in which Burnley will be expected to challenge for promotion, even without the increased chance of involvement in the play-offs.