Liverpool great Steven Gerrard admits regret over ex Manchester United manager

Steven Gerrard never wanted to play for Manchester United, but he does regret never playing under the stewardship of Jose Mourinho.

The former Liverpool midfielder was a long-time transfer target for Mourinho's Chelsea in the noughties, but the move never quite materialised. In 2005, it seemed Gerrard was about to make a £32million move to Stamford Bridge – then a British record – but ended up signing a new Liverpool contract instead.

Mourinho won two Premier Leagues in his first stint at Chelsea and added a third in 2014/15 before his spell as United boss between 2016 and 2018 in which he won the Carabao Cup and Europa League. Gerrard has now told his former England teammate, and ex United defender Rio Ferdinand, why he regrets not playing for Mourinho.

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“I have regrets for not playing for the man and the coach,” Gerrard said to Ferdinand on his Vibe with Five podcast. “Because I know he would have made me a better player. I know he would have added more trophies to what I’ve already won.

"I was close to making the decision whether to go [to Chelsea] or stay, but my dad's a big Liverpool fan and my brother and all my friends. I've had a lot of criticism in the media saying 'he should have gone to Chelsea', but for me I knew I always wanted to come home. I'm biased to Liverpool."

Gerrard famously never won the Premier League for Liverpool but did lift the Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup trophies for his boyhood club. He eventually left Anfield after a 17-year spell to finish his career in the United States with Los Angeles Galaxy. Mourinho is