Steven Gerrard to Leicester after inevitable Van Nistelrooy exit with Leeds among six next move options

Steven Gerrard could be Championship-bound after departing Al Ettifaq by ‘mutual consent’ with Leeds United among his six next move options…

The Liverpool legend’s 18-month stint at Al Ettifaq ended this week by mutual consent, though this feels more like a sacking. His now former 12th-placed club are languishing only five points clear of the Saudi Pro League relegation zone with five wins in 17 league matches.

Al Ettifaq have not made the same glamorous signings as some Saudi Pro League rivals, but Gerrard has been backed with the additions of Jordan Henderson (who is causing an uproar with another “strange” transfer situation after the briefest of stints in the Middle East), Georginio Wijnaldum and Demarai Gray.

After guiding his side to a sixth-place finish last season, Gerrard oversaw a slump in the opening few months of this season and it’s not overly surprising that him and assistant Michael Beale (a coach who has f***ed it with several brain-dead career decisions) have stepped through the exit door.

While Gerrard’s managerial career got off to a fantastic start as he won the league with Rangers, his average-to-rubbish (depending on who you ask) stint at Aston Villa has been exposed by Unai Emery’s brilliance.

It was damaging enough to Gerrard’s standing in coaching that he moved to Saudi Arabia, but the fact his latest job was far from successful has worsened his situation.

Despite this, Gerrard remains a huge name, so – a la Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney – he won’t have too much trouble finding another job when he decides to return to management, which will presumably come after he reintroduces himself to people back home via a spell as a pundit.

Gerrard’s chances of landing a Premier League job next are slim. Still, a few Championship sides may be happy to give him another shot and there’s always the possibility of a return to one of his former clubs. Here are his six next move options…

Rangers

Gerrard has no chance of securing a second stint at Aston Villa as the Champions League dreamers have left their former boss in the dirt, but a return to Scottish giants Rangers is a possibility.

Rangers have made a joke of the Europa League by finishing in the top eight, but head coach Philippe Clement remains on the tightrope with his side’s Scottish Premiership title hopes already over as they sit 10 points adrift of Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic, who also have a game in hand.

Gerrard never clicked with Aston Villa supporters as he did with Rangers’ passionate faithful, who still adore the Liverpool icon after he ended their ten-year wait for a title during their unbeaten season in 2020/21. He’d be welcomed back to his second home in a heartbeat.

READ: Premier League records that will never be broken: Mourinho’s Chelsea, Arsenal, Haaland, Liverpool

Derby County

The Rams for the three-peat?

Having already appointed Lampard and Rooney (to varying levels of success), it would not be overly surprising if fame-hungry Derby County go for another legend of the game to replace under-fire Paul Warne.

The former Rotherham United boss is a League One specialist and has credit in the bank after guiding Derby back to the Championship. But he is coming under increased pressure and could be sacked before a third relegation from the second tier is added to his CV, as they have recently slipped into the bottom three.

It would be a bold call to appoint Gerrard while Derby are in this precarious position, but he did previously guide Aston Villa to safety in 2021/22 after replacing Dean Smith in November; albeit with a squad far more capable of fighting off relegation than the Rams in their respective divisions.

PREMIER LEAGUE FEATURES ON F365…

👉 Five Premier League players lucky to survive the January transfer window

👉 Every Premier League club’s pleasant surprise this season: Amad, Kluivert, Burn, Tielemans…

👉 Southampton next? The Premier League’s six worst-ever teams…

Portsmouth

Like Derby, Portsmouth are another side that fell from the Premier League promise land to League One but are looking up after getting promoted to the Championship last season.

Portsmouth and Derby surely have long-term ambitions of returning to the Premier League, but they first need to stabilise in the Championship. This is currently far from certain as Pompey sit two points clear of the Rams, who occupy the final relegation place.

John Mousinho’s side have improved after finding themselves cut adrift amid their dire start to the 2024/25 season, but back-to-back defeats to West Brom (5-1) and Millwall (1-0) have dampened the newfound optimism at Fratton Park.

Mousinho certainly has a higher ceiling as a head coach than Warne and he would still have a big future if he’s sacrificed in a desperate move to avoid relegation. At this point, Gerrard would likely prefer to wait until the summer for his next job, but his appointment would provide a boost, even if it’s shortlived.

Wycombe Wanderers

Alternatively, Gerrard could step into League One as Wycombe – following their big-money takeover – represents a far more tempting option for managers than during their workmanlike days of the Gareth Ainsworth era.

Wycombe are the only managerless side in this list as former boss Matt Bloomfield has left to join Luton Town, despite the Chairboys sitting second in League One and his new side 23rd in the Championship.

The two clubs could easily swap places in the Football League pyramid by the end of this season and Wycombe’s rejection of a £6m bid for 21-year-old striker Richard Kone (from Luton) emphasises their newfound wealth.

Gerrard may think he’s better than the League One high-flyers, but they could be a club on the up with their huge investment and he could stumble on a great job if he’s dragged along for the ride.

READ: It Could Only Be Us: Fourteen infuriating football disasters that only ever befall *your* club

Leicester City

We end with two less likely options. First, it’s Premier League strugglers Leicester City.

Manchester United legend Ruud van Nistelrooy could regret rushing back into management after departing Old Trafford; he could have landed on a far more stable opportunity than the Foxes had he been more patient.

Alas, Van Nistelrooy quickly bit and presumably did not realise what he was in for at the King Power Stadium. Leicester’s squad is not good enough and his sacking felt inevitable before a much-needed encounter with Dr Tottenham eased the pressure on the Dutchman.

The Foxes have been poorly run since Rodgers’ exit (and in his final chapter, really) and Van Nistelrooy is up against it as he attempts to save them from relegation.

Should Van Nistelrooy fail as is expected, his Leicester exit would be a formality and Gerrard could re-enter the scene after he was linked with the club after their last relegation in 2023.

Leeds United

The Whites are another club previously mooted as a possible destination for Gerrard, who was ‘very keen’ on the role when he became a betting favourite to replace Jesse Marsch at the start of 2023.

Current head coach Daniel Farke is pretty secure with Leeds United sitting top of the Championship, but he was fortunate to keep his job following their dramatic collapse during last season’s run-in.

Farke is on track for his third Championship promotion, but his track record in the Premier League – with two relegations on his CV – is poor and it’s not unreasonable to assume he’ll lose his job should Leeds follow Southampton, Ipswich Town and Leicester in battling the drop next season.

Gerrard’s work at Al Ettifaq does make him less likely to join Leeds or a club at a similar level than previously and exit-bound Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou would be a much better fit as a dream successor for Farke in a Marcelo Bielsa-esque vibes appointment.

Click here to read article