'Has to be' - Liverpool urged to make big Steven Gerrard decision amid Jurgen Klopp dilemma

Steven Gerrard's former teammate Vladimír Šmicer has spoken openly about the possibility of the Aston Villa boss becoming Liverpool manager in the future.

Gerrard was appointed as successor to Dean Smith in November after Villa fell to five successive losses in the Premier League, flirting with a relegation battle in the process. Upon Gerrard's arrival, Villa's fortunes appeared to have turned as they recorded victories against Brighton and Crystal Palace within a matter of days of his arrival.

However, as the season progressed the momentum failed to follow suit as Gerrard watched helplessly on the sidelines as his team slipped to 15th in the Premier League following four losses in a row. Villa have since gone on to put an end to the poor run of form with a solid defensive display against Leicester City in a 0-0 draw, which will hopefully be met with a strong end to Gerrard's first campaign in charge of the club.

Despite a turbulent beginning to life at Villa, Gerrard's ex-colleague Šmicer has backed the Villa boss to one day succeed Jurgen Klopp in charge at Liverpool. Speaking via 888sport, he said: "You could always see Stevie thinking about the game during our playing days. He always knew what the team needed in the moment, and everyone respected him a lot.

“It’s going to be difficult for anyone to replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, but if it is going to be anyone then it definitely has to be Stevie G. Liverpool fans would welcome Stevie into the managerial role with open arms if Klopp had to be replaced. Stevie did really well at Rangers, and he started well at Aston Villa. I would love to see him become the manager of Liverpool.”