Steven Gerrard now ‘ready to return’ to England as Championship club names ‘final shortlist’

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There could be quite a few managerial changes in the Championship this summer, and we can exclusively reveal that Steven Gerrard is potentially on his way back to England to take up a new role.

Having spent 18 months in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ettifaq, Gerrard departed in January and has been looking for work ever since.

It’s now been almost three years since we last saw the Liverpool legend coaching in England, but there’s now every chance he bags a new job in the Championship ahead of next season.

There has already been some big managerial news this week, with Paul Warne taking on the job at MK Dons, and Neil Warnock primed for a sensational Cardiff return.

But, in an EFL Analysis exclusive, we understand Steven Gerrard could yet take on one of the highest profile jobs in the second tier.

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Steven Gerrard enters the frame for Southampton role

Discussing the vacant managerial post at Southampton with ELF Analysis’ resident expert, Graeme Bailey, we are told Gerrard has become a person of interest for recently-relegated Southampton.

Bailey said: “Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard are both on Southampton’s final shortlist to be their new manager. The two England legends have been on Southampton’s radar for the last few weeks and both are in their sights.

“Lampard only took over at Coventry earlier this season, but has impressed in his short time with the club and it is believed Southampton would be an option he would consider.

“Gerrard, who is on Rangers’ list to return to Ibrox, is out of work following his stint in Saudi Arabia and is ready to return to the UK – we understand.”

They’re not the only ones, though. As has been suspected for a long time, Danny Rohl is wanted by Southampton, and it’s now believed the Sheffield Wednesday manager is “pushing hard” to bag the job as he becomes the “leading candidate” for the Saints.

We also understand that Rohl is not the only German candidate on the list, with former Norwich City boss David Wagner is also on their list, whilst there is one other European candidate being considered.

Strasbourg’s Liam Rosenior is “no longer in contention” for the job at Southampton, though that is more due to a reluctance on his side. Instead, he is thought to be looking at securing a role in the Premier League.

• READ MORE: Leicester’s pursuit of Danny Rohl could be dealt major blow after key Sheffield Wednesday development

Is Steven Gerrard actually a good manager?

With Gerrard potentially on his way back to England with Southampton, we decided to take a good look at his managerial career to date, and it’s not particularly inspiring.

Granted, his time at Rangers was relatively successful, helping the Glasgow giants lift the Scottish title in 2021. He recorded an impressive 2.15 points-per-game (PPG) there, but as always, we have to take into account the standard of competition North of the border.

When he moved to Aston Villa, Gerrard quickly got found out. He lost more games (19) than he won with Villa (13) and managed just a 1.18 PPG record as the Midlands club slumped under his leadership.

The revival there under Unai Emery has only served to highlight how much Gerrard truly struggled in the Premier League.

Things went in the right direction at Al-Ettifaq, but again, given the level of football in Saudi Arabia, it remains to be seen whether that would translate to the standards in the Championship

The 2025/26 campaign in the Championship is shaping up to be one of the most competitive yet, and this season has been extraordinarily unpredictable. It would be very interesting to see what Gerrard can do here, and even more interesting if Frank Lampard remains in the division, too.