Liverpool icon Steve Gerrard learns three vital lessons on Anfield return with Aston Villa

In pictures: Liverpool v Aston Villa

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In public, Steven Gerrard was keen to remind that this was just another game. But there would have been part of the new Aston Villa boss that saw his first competitive return to Anfield as an audition to the Liverpool board.  

Gerrard may only have taken the Villa hotseat at the end of November but the elephant in the room as the Villans were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Liverpool was that the 40-year-old could one day be in the home dugout. 

He has been there before. His Liverpool U18 side were beaten 3-2 by Arsenal in the FA Youth Cup in January 2018.  

But the Reds legend has made no secret of the fact that he would one day like to manage the club’s first team.  

“Would I love to be the coach of Liverpool one day? Is it a dream? Of course,” he said in 2020. 

Gerrard, though, would be better served seeing out his development as a coach at Aston Villa. The Liverpool job will inevitably come, and the former Rangers boss does not need to rush into it. 

The former England captain has made an impressive start in the Midlands since replacing Dean Smith last month. This Villa performance, while Liverpool were dominant, will have further enamoured those who might one day appoint him on Merseyside. 

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Villa are vastly improved under Gerrard. He has lost just two of his first five matches and they were narrow defeats against Manchester City and Liverpool.  

Just as Gerrard did so many times during his Liverpool career, Mohamed Salah scored the decisive goal from the penalty spot in front of the Kop.  

It was a tight and cagey event, with Villa more than holding their own. The award of a penalty against Tyrone Mings was controversial. 

Villa have won their other three Premier League fixtures under Gerrard, who has dragged them away from danger.  

He can look at his former Three Lions team-mate Frank Lampard as evidence of why it is probably sensible to learn and develop elsewhere before taking on the dream job.  

There is not least the obstacle that Jurgen Klopp’s contract still has over two years to run.  

Given the way his team have started life under Gerrard, there much more sense in the Reds icon waiting around and continuing his promising development instead of rushing into the role at Liverpool. 

Express Sport picks out some more lessons Gerrard will have learned vs Liverpool.  

Can he manage big names?

Gerrard was strong in his praise for Klopp ahead of the game. He reminisced about the German taking charge of a legends’ game in Australia a couple of years ago. 

And he would have looked along the touchline at Anfield and seen a man who has got the very best out of Liverpool’s big stars.  

Salah was once again the match-winner. Sadio Mane, Virgil van Dijk and Jordan Henderson all impressed as they so often do.  

Gerrard’s time at Rangers and Villa has so far largely involved developing young players.  

If he was to ever take the Liverpool job, he could take inspiration from Klopp on managing the biggest of names.

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Villa have European potential

After a tricky start, the Villans are back on track under Gerrard. 

The new boss suggested that he wants to take the club into Europe, pointing at the likes of Leicester and West Ham who have broken into the top six in recent season. 

And there is no reason why this Villa side cannot follow in their footsteps. 

Gerrard has got them playing attractive football. With Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings, they will score goals. Defensively, they are astute. 

Keep their best players and the only way is up. It is another reason why the boss needs to stick around at Villa Park. 

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