Newly-retired Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard could be set for a return to the club as an academy coach, according to theTelegraph.
Gerrard, who left LA Galaxy at the end of the recent MLS season, confirmed his retirement from professional football on Thursday andis now understood to be close to accepting an opportunity to work within his old club's youth ranks. Gerrard has recently turned down the opportunity to jump straight in to football management with League One club MK Dons.
What a Liverpool career.
710 appearances.
9 trophies.
Reds fans will never forget Steven Gerrard 👉https://t.co/ecJpjr0RZt pic.twitter.com/DD2kHaV3gy
The 36-year-old is keen to move in to coaching and possibly management in the coming years, but Liverpool have offered to help Gerrard along as he continues to work towards his coaching badges - he is currentlycontinuing to work towardshis UEFA ˜A' licence.
The new report however claims thatthe lure for Gerrard ofrejoining his boyhood team is expected to be too much to resist, and that a decision could be announced soon. No decisions have yet been made on what the specific role will be for Gerrard, but talks are continuing over what job he may do next.
Current manager Jurgen Klopp however has reacted to the news of Gerrard's retirement by urging people to let him breathe in a potential new job, and to allow him to make his own mistakes.
He said in a press conference on Thursday:"The door is always open for him. From our side if he wants to make a rich career after his (playing) career we want to help him. It is clear that one day in the future there will be something to announce.
"You can learn everything from doing things right and wrong. You have your first game, make the wrong decision, then you develop and it's about collecting points, then to stay in the league, then to win the league or whatever.
"When I started at Mainz we had no-one around and could fight for a little bit without public interest. It was not that every day everyone wanted to know 'how are you?'
"In my first few years there if I was training naked no-one would have seen it - even though I didn't do that! People have to accept you will make mistakes. That helps."
It's expected that any role Gerrard takes will come under the guidance of Academy Director Alex Inglethorpe and mentor Steve Heighway.
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