Newly-appointed Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard is gearing up for an emotional return to Liverpool this afternoon.
The iconic Liverpool midfielder is coming back to Anfield today for a Premier League encounter with Jurgen Klopp’s mentality monsters.
Gerrard quit Rangers to replace Dean Smith at Aston Villa in November and when he did, this fixture immediately stood out.
Since leaving Ibrox, the 41-year-old has won three out of his first four Premier League outings, but winning at Liverpool would be one hell of an achievement because the Merseysiders are, well, simply brilliant.
And although Paul Merson claims that he absolutely loves Gerrard, the Sky Sports pundit has written in The Daily Star that the legendary midfielder could get ’embarrassed’ on his return to Anfield.
There has been talk about Gerrard being Klopp’s long-term replacement at Liverpool, but Merson is certain that the former Gers coach – who earns £96,000 per week at Villa – won’t be treating this like an audition.
He said: “Steven Gerrard will be a bag of nerves going back to Anfield because his team could get embarrassed. But they are very inconsistent and if they start against Liverpool like they did against Leicester it could get embarrassing.
“Gerrard won’t think of this game as an audition for the Liverpool job. It’s a job that might not be available for years. I think they will cause Liverpool problems but I can’t see them getting anything from the game.
“Gerrard is a Liverpool legend and he was my favourite player when I retired. I just thought he was different class.”
The clash at Anfield is scheduled to begin at 3pm UK time.
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