Gerrard Vows Never To Become Everton Manager
Steven Gerrard has ruled out ever becoming manager of Everton and has admitted surprise at being linked with the Toffees job when it was vacant.
Gerrard’s name popped up in the rumour mill as a potential successor to Carlo Ancelotti when the Italian left the blue side of Merseyside for a second spell at Real Madrid at the end of the 2020/2021 season.
The former Liverpool captain’s coaching stock continues to rise after leading Rangers to a first Scottish Premiership title for the first time in 10 years last season.
Former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has eventually been appointed as the new Everton boss.
Gerrard says his strong ties to Liverpool, whom he skippered to the Champions League title in 2005, means it will be impossible to manage their city rivals and has refused to fault Benitez for taking the job.
“Rafa wasn’t born in the city, he’s not a red through-and-through and he never played against Everton for 20 years and competed against them, so I think it’s a very different situation [to mine],” Gerrard said, speaking to ESPN.
“Rafa is his own man and will make his own professional decisions, so there’s no surprise that he wanted to get back in the Premier League at a big club and have the opportunity to compete against all the top teams in the league, so I wasn’t very shocked and surprised at all in all honesty.
“I was very shocked and surprised that my name was linked to the job. I don’t know where it came from, whether it was paper talk or if there was any truth in it, I’m not sure.
“[Managing Everton] is never a possibility as far as I’m concerned.”
