Pundit Ally McCoist laughed with incredulity at links putting Rangers manager and ex-Liverpool hero Steven Gerrard in the frame for the Everton job.
Carlo Ancelotti’s sudden switch from Merseyside to Madrid caused inevitable upheaval at Goodison Park, with work already underway to identify a shortlist of suitable candidates to replace Ancelotti.
However, one surprise candidate in Gerrard was thrown into the ring by The Athletic, who claim he was one name being discussed by Everton chiefs.
Since his November 1998 debut for the Reds, the midfielder has scored 186 goals and laid on a further 144 assists for Everton’s arch-rivals.
The 710-appearance mainstay is firmly cemented in the hearts of the red half of Merseyside – perhaps making links with Gerrard to Goodison Park all the more peculiar.
Looking beyond his history with Liverpool as a player however, Gerrard has taken great strides to ennoble himself in his managerial career.
His Rangers side disrupted Celtic’s apparent monopoly in Scottish football by denying the Hoops a tenth successive league title under his tutelage, securing Champions League football in the process.
However, ex-Rangers pundit Ally McCoist laughed off rumours linking Gerrard with a move to Goodison:
‘Come on!’, guffawed the pundit on talkSPORT.
“He’s got Champions League football to look forward to! He’s looking to get two in a row!
“Listen guys, for the second year in a row we’ve just sold 44,000 season tickets, the club’s going through the roof and he’s on board.
“He’s going into his fourth season in charge, he won the championship, he’s got a board that backs him, he’s doing ever so well.
“Come on guys, let’s be realistic about this – there’s a better chance of me being the Everton manager than Steven Gerrard!
“Would it be a bad appointment? I didn’t say that. But would he consider it? That’s a different thing.
“Listen, there are one or two things that only Steven would be able to answer, and the Everton job is a fantastic job let’s not kid ourselves.
“But it’s not for Steven Gerrard! It’s not happening!”
Read Everton Verdict
For all of Rangers’ recent successes, Everton fans looking past Gerrard’s history could prove to be an insurmountable task.
If Gerrard were made to endure a fractious relationship with fans from the first day in the job, the board would find their appointment under constant strain and scrutiny from fans. In turn, that could reflect unpopularly on the board itself.
Even if a move boasts some sporting merit in terms of a young, ambitious manager with proven success north of the border, there equally remains McCoist’s question as to whether Gerrard would consider the job.
Given Gerrard’s hero status, jeopardising his Liverpool legacy with an Everton move could be equally self-destructive.
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