Jurgen Klopp believes Steven Gerrard is likely to succeed him as Liverpool manager

In an exclusive interview with FourFourTwo,  Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp revealed he believes former Reds legend Steven Gerrard will replace him at Anfield.

Gerrard, who left Liverpool as a player in 2015, has made no secret of his desire to one day manager the Reds. He has overseen Rangers revival in Scotland for the last 12-plus months. His time in Glasgow followed a coaching stint in Liverpool’s academy.

Now, with Klopp’s endorsement, it looks likely Gerrard will succeed the German as Liverpool manager.

The latest issue of FourFourTwo that features the interview will hit newsstands later this week.

During the interview, Klopp was asked about Kenny Dalglish and his presence still at Liverpool in a non-executive role. Klopp responded with an answer many fans may not have expected.

“Kenny and Stevie have both been a really big support from day one,” Klopp said.

“Second, my position as a manager has nothing to do with the people around me. If Liverpool were to sack me tomorrow, then maybe Kenny would be the first choice to replace me, but they would probably bring Stevie down from Glasgow.

“If you ask who should follow me, I’d say Stevie. I help him whenever I can.

“If someone gets your job, it’s not about them, it’s about you not being good enough.”

Klopp has already hinted at walking away from Anfield when his current contract is up. He took a short sabbatical from Borussia Dortmund at the end of the 2014-15 season. His time off didn’t last long, however, as Liverpool sacked Brendan Rodgers shortly after the start of the 2015-16 season.

The manager’s contract runs until 2022 at Liverpool. In August, Klopp spoke to Germany’s Kicker about possibly stepping down in three years’ time.

“It looks like it,” Klopp said when asked about taking a break from management. “Who can now say if he can give it his all in three years’ time?

“If I decide for myself that I can’t go on any more, I’ll take a break and in that year I’d have to make a definite decision [over my career].

“I have absolute energy, but I have one problem; I can’t do ‘a little bit’. I can only do ‘all or nothing.

“But the chances are very high that my energy levels will go up again [after a year’s break], and that I can then do the job the way I want to.”

Many Liverpool fans will be delighted with Klopp’s endorsement of Gerrard. The former Liverpool midfielder continues to cut his teeth at Rangers and could be primed for the role in three seasons.