MX23RW : Monday, November 25 03:55:49| >> :120:24482:24482:

Phil Thompson urges Steven Gerrard not to rush into management

Phil Thompson urges Steven Gerrard not to rush into management following his retirement.

Former Liverpool defender Phil Thompson has claimed that recently-retired Steven Gerrard should focus on youth coaching before taking on a senior management role.

The ex-Liverpool captain announced his retirement from professional football on Thursday, ending a career spanning 19 years.

The 36-year-old recently turned down the chance to become MK Dons manager, admitting that the job came too early for the midfielder, who has spent the last 18 months playing for MLS club Los Angeles Galaxy.

Thompson believes that Gerrard should gain experience in the England youth setup.

"There will be a lot of opportunities but I'd rather see him with England Under-21s, which would probably be my preference, then come back to Liverpool in some capacity, maybe with the Under-23s or as first-team coach," Sky Sports News quotes Thompson as saying.

"Aidy Boothroyd is down there in an interim role with the England Under-21s with a wealth of experience. He's gone into the under 21 set up is the sort of figure to learn from. It's one thing cutting your teeth with the younger players at a football club but going into a League One or League Two side is a difficult scenario unless you've got a senior coach with you.

"It's a good way of learning your trade. Pep Guardiola did it with Barcelona's youth team, Zinedine Zidane did it with Real Madrid's B team and Patrick Vieira worked with Manchester City's academy before moving on to better things. I would like to see him come back to Liverpool from a selfish point of view but I'm not too sure it would be with the first team."

Gerrard made 710 appearances during a 17-year spell at Anfield, winning eight trophies, including the Champions League in 2005.

ID:285964: cacheID:285964:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:3194:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp watches on during the Premier League clash with Watford at Anfield on November 6, 2016
Read Next:
Klopp coy on Steven Gerrard return
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool1210112481631
2Manchester CityMan City127232217523
3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal126422112922
5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs1261527131419
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest125431513219
8Aston Villa125431919019
9Newcastle UnitedNewcastle115331311218
10Fulham125341717018
11Brentford125252222017
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd124441313016
13Bournemouth124351617-115
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham113351319-612
15Everton122551017-711
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves122372028-89
18Ipswich TownIpswich121651323-109
19Crystal Palace121561017-78
20Southampton121110924-154


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!