Ex-Red John Aldridge has praised Steven Gerrard for having the bravery to take over at Aston Villa but believes if the Villa Park outfit were to be relegated this season then ‘he can forget about taking over at Liverpool’.
The former Liverpool captain left his role as Rangers’ manager on Friday in order to sign a deal at the Villans that will keep him in the West Midlands until 2025.
“There will always be links with Stevie and the Liverpool job, but he won’t even be thinking about that now as he has a massive job on his hands at Villa,” the 63-year-old told the Sunday World.
“They have been struggling in recent weeks and that’s why they decided to change their manager and if Villa get relegated this season, Stevie knows he can forget about taking over as Liverpool at some point in the future.
“That’s how this game works – he won’t be looking at it that way, though. He will be thinking he can steady the ship, get Villa into the top half of the table and build from there.”
Our old No.8 was performing well in the Ibrox hotseat – he ensured successive qualifications into the knockout stages of the Europa League, won the club’s 55th league title whilst remaining undefeated and leaves with their European fate still in their own hands this season.
His task in the Premier League will be very different to the once he was set north of the border, though.
He’s replacing boyhood Villa fan Dean Smith who leaves the club after five successive league defeats and a feeling amongst the squad that they’re missing Jack Grealish since his £100m summer move to Manchester City.
“Stevie has an attitude that means he believes he will succeed wherever he goes and he will believe that at Villa now,” Aldridge added.
If Stevie G is going to replace Jurgen at Anfield in a few years, it is imperative that his spell in the Midlands is a successful one.
All Kopites will be wishing him the best, apart from when he brings his side to Anfield on December 11 in what is guaranteed to be a special atmosphere.
Aston Villa is in Aston, Birmingham… Not the Black Country! For future reference the Black Country are home to WBA and Wolves! Thank you.