Why Steven Gerrard could make EMOTIONAL Liverpool return after Saudi NIGHTMARE

Steven Gerrard has finally left Saudi Arabia after months of pressure in his job as manager of Al Ettifaq but could he now return to Liverpool?

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The once legendary Liverpool captain's adventure in Saudi has not exactly turned out to be what he would have wished for.

After a disappointing spell at Aston Villa, he's now leaving following an equally disappointing spell with Ettifaq, struggling to take the club to the heights that they had aimed for.

Gerrard leaves the club in 12th place, just four points of the relegation zone and with just five wins in 17 matches so far this season.

His managerial credentials are in tatters at the moment, and it feels like he is at a crossroads in his career as a coach.

Perhaps the best next move in his career is to come back to the Reds - to come back where it all started for him both as a player and as a coach.

How Gerrard could make an emotional Liverpool return

From both perspectives, bringing Gerrard back into the fold as a coach at academy level or at first team level working under Arne Slot makes sense.

From Gerrard's perspective it's an opportunity to learn first-hand from the club's excellent coaching staff and to get back in the drawing room in terms of his own development as a manager and coach.

For Liverpool, Gerrard's experience and connection to the club makes him an ideal asset to have in the dressing room and working alongside academy players at the other side of the AXA training centre.

What could Gerrard bring to Liverpool?

There is no denying, Gerrard's heartstrings pull towards Liverpool. He even scheduled Ettifaq training sessions to make sure he can still watch Liverpool games - clearly his heart is pulling him a certain way.

During his last time at the club working as a coach at U18 level, he left an indelible impression and helped bring through the likes of Curtis Jones, inspiring them to make the next step into the first team.

As someone who came up through the ranks himself, Gerrard knows firsthand the dedication it takes to make it at Liverpool, and he could inspire young talent while refining his own approach to player development.

What would make sense is if Liverpool brought him in for a hybrid role where he'd work both with the first team and the academy. That way both sides would benefit with Gerrard being able to learn more about the requirements needed to be a top level manager - and hopefully what it takes to one day become the manager of Liverpool, which is surely still an aspiration for him.

He was once tipped to be Jurgen Klopp's successor but it never came to fruition. However, his return would surely open the door for him to become manager in the future.

For now though on the training ground is where he would serve the club best.

He still needs to develop as a coach and as a manager before he is ready for that step. Either way, bringing Gerrard back in any capacity would be an emotionally charged and cathartic moment.

It would make it all the more sweeter if Liverpool won the league at the end of the season with Gerrard being able to lift the trophy aloft as a coach once and for all.

Liverpool should make it happen. It's the best possible next step for everyone involved.

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