Liverpool news: Barry Ferguson urges Steven Gerrard to prove himself at Rangers before considering possible Anfield return

What's the story?

Former Rangers midfielder Barry Ferguson believes that Steven Gerrard needs to prove himself in Scotland before thinking of returning to Anfield.

In case you didn't know...

Considered one of the best midfielders of all time, Gerrard played 504 league games during his 17-year spell with Liverpool, scoring 120 goals in the process. The Englishman also helped the Reds win more than five trophies, including the Champions League title in 2005.

He left the Merseysiders to join MLS side, LA Galaxy, in 2015 before retiring from professional football in 2016.

The 39-year-old went into coaching upon his retirement and served as Liverpool's youth coach before taking charge of Rangers in 2018.

The heart of the matter

Speaking to the Daily Record, Barry Ferguson opened up about Gerrard's possible return to Liverpool.

He said:

“Let’s be honest, we’ve all known from day one that Steven Gerrard hopes to go back to his own spiritual home at Anfield the way Lampard has returned to Stamford Bridge.

“But I just hope he has to wait an awful lot longer than his old England team-mate. And the good news is if his dream is to manage Liverpool one day, first he’s going to have to take Rangers back to the top of Scottish football.

“If he can do that and win the title he’ll walk straight back to Merseyside the moment Jurgen Klopp decides he has achieved all he can in England.

“But that all depends on the job he does right now. Gerrard has to make Rangers successful or it will throw a massive spanner in his works."

He went on to state that Gerrard, if he succeeds at Rangers, can return to the Premier League directly with Liverpool rather than having to coach a mid-table club like Wolves or West Ham first.

What's next?

Gerrard's Rangers will play Oxford United in a pre-season friendly later today.