“YOU’LL never work again,” the Aston Villa fans sang as it became apparent Steven Gerrard’s time as manager of the club would end with a heavy 3-0 defeat to Fulham last week. They were right in calling that Gerrard would soon be sacked, but the former England and Liverpool captain is very much expected to work again.

What’s less clear is where and when Gerrard will be presented with another opportunity. The original theory was that the 42-year-old would use Aston Villa to prove his worth as a Premier League manager on his way to succeeding Jurgen Klopp whenever he leaves Liverpool. That trajectory has now been disrupted.

Gerrard’s Liverpool destiny might never be fulfilled. For now, he must focus on getting his managerial career back on track and that might require him to take a step backwards to move forwards. Premier League jobs might not be so forthcoming following his failure as Aston Villa boss.

Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney, two of Gerrard’s former England peers, both got their coaching education in the Championship, and incidentally at the same club – Derby County. It might be wise for Gerrard to drop down a division to broaden his tactical knowledge and work on some of the flaws that ultimately cost him in the Premier League.

Rangers could be in the market for a new manager if recent results don’t improve with Giovanni van Bronckhorst under pressure. Gerrard is still highly thought of in Scotland having delivered Rangers’ first top flight title in a decade, raising the possibility that he could lured back north of the border.

Some have spoken about Gerrard as a potential future England manager. The former midfielder was a Three Lions icon and would instantly command the respect of the national team dressing room. There is also reason to believe his conservative, defence-first approach would work well in international football.

However, Gareth Southgate has a contract as England manager until the end of 2024 and a good showing at the 2022 World Cup would surely see him see out that contract. What’s more, if Southgate were to leave his post there would be other candidates put forward with stronger track records than Gerrard.

A big problem for Gerrard is that he has been left to fly solo by his former co-pilot Michael Beale who left Aston Villa at the end of last season to take over as Queens Park Rangers manager. Beale was credited with being the tactical mastermind behind Gerrard’s success at Rangers and so it’s unsurprising Villa took such a dip without the former Liverpool and Sao Paolo coach behind the scenes.

Gerrard must find a way to impose his own ideas on opposition teams better. For a player whose game was naturally attacking, it’s somewhat surprising the 42-year-old has put such an emphasis on defence as a manager. Aston Villa were criticised for being dull this season with Gerrard’s exit immediately liberating them to score four times in a 4-0 win over Brentford.

This conservative approach worked well for Gerrard in Europe where Rangers were difficult to beat over several seasons in the Europa League, but the Premier League required him to be more expansive in his style of play and that’s where difficulties arose. To reach the top of management, Gerrard must make changes here.

Great players don’t always become great managers. In fact, sometimes the weight of being a legendary player can be too much for someone starting out in management. Gerrard might have struggled with this at Aston Villa, but his success at Rangers suggests he still has something to offer on the touchline. He must be careful not to make another misstep.