Gerrard is talking to clubs, but he is not in a hurry

Steven Gerrard has confirmed he has been in conversations with clubs about a return to management, but the Liverpool icon is making clear he is comfortable exactly where he is right now. Speaking on the Open Goal podcast, Gerrard said he has received "quite a few offers and chats with teams and stuff" yet added: "At the moment I am really happy with what I am doing." That is not the language of a man itching to get back in the dugout, it is the language of someone who has found a rhythm that suits him.

Since leaving Al-Ettifaq in January 2025, Gerrard has carved out a role in television with TNT, signing a new deal there, alongside various commercial commitments. He also became a grandfather a year ago, something he speaks about with obvious warmth. "I'm loving being around the family, I get enough time off. My work life balance is great," he said. For a man who has spent the bulk of his adult life consumed entirely by professional football, that kind of perspective is hard-earned.

Why he does not want Rangers to come calling

One of the more intriguing moments on the podcast came when Gerrard addressed the possibility of returning to Ibrox. He was open enough to say "who knows" when pressed on it, but he was equally clear that he hopes the question never becomes a serious one. His reasoning is straightforward: if Rangers are asking him back, it means the club is in trouble, and he does not want that for a place he clearly still holds close.

"I want Derek McInnes to be successful, I've got nothing but respect for him," Gerrard said, adding that he hopes the club "goes on and be successful where they maybe don't need to come and ask someone like me." That is a generous and honest thing to say, and it tells you something about how much that period in Glasgow meant to him. He led Rangers to their first title in a decade in 2021, completing an unbeaten league campaign and stopping Celtic from reaching ten consecutive championships. Those are not small things, and you can hear the affection whenever he talks about the club.

He even attended a recent Old Firm match, catching up with former colleagues in the stands. "See driving up to the stadium, the scarves and being back in Ibrox and that, it was some buzz," he said. Rangers currently sit just two points behind Celtic in the table after a run of six consecutive wins, so McInnes appears to be finding his footing.

Giving something back to Liverpool and Knowsley

Away from the cameras and the training pitches, Gerrard has been putting his energy into something genuinely worthwhile closer to home. A partnership between him, Lydiate Learning Trust and Knowsley Council has resulted in the UK's first school padel academy, with 16 courts installed across two educational facilities in Liverpool and Knowsley. Six new 3G football pitches have also been set up as part of the project.

It is the kind of community work that rarely makes headlines in the way a managerial appointment would, but it speaks to where Gerrard's head is at right now. He is not hiding away, he is busy, he is engaged, and he is investing in the city that shaped him. Whether the right management opportunity eventually pulls him back remains to be seen, but on the evidence of this conversation, he will take some convincing.