Jamie Carragher has claimed that his former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard is not "fully ready yet" to embark on a career in football management, but believes that it is only a "matter of time" before he is.
The 36-year-old midfielder will leave MLS outfit Los Angeles Galaxy in December following an 18-month stint in the United States.
Gerrard, who made 710 appearances for Liverpool during a 17-year career at Anfield, has not confirmed whether he will retire from playing when he departs LA, but it is believed that he has turned down the manager's job at MK Dons to leave the door open for a coaching role at his former club.
Carragher, who became a Sky Sports pundit after retiring in 2013, is confident that his ex-teammate will move into management, but not just yet.
"I don't think that's going to happen now going there, I just don't think he fancies [the job at MK Dons]," Carragher told Sky Sports News.
"He's turned it down now but the fact he spoke to a club shows it will only be a matter of time. I just think it's come too early; six or 12 months down the line there would have been a good chance of it happening.
"I don't think he is fully ready yet. That's not to say he couldn't do the job but maybe he wants to see if he can get more experience and he is still getting his coaching badges."
Gerrard won eight major trophies, including the Champions League, during his time at Liverpool.
Danielle Joynson
