Steven Gerrard Responds To Emile Heskey's Claim The Skin Colour Stops Him Getting A Job

Steven Gerrard has responded to former England and Liverpool teammate Emile Heskey, after the former striker was the latest to claim that his skin colour had stopped him getting managerial jobs.

Speaking earlier in the week Heskey echoed the thoughts of several retired black players and pointed to Frank Lampard and Gerrard getting roles at Derby County, initially, and Rangers, respectively.

Asked about his former teammate's words ahead of Rangers win over Feyenoord on Thursday, Gerrard said, "I don't have anything to say on that. I don't really look out for any interviews that Emile Heskey does."

Heskey had pointed to himself, Ashley Cole and Sol Campbell as examples of successful players who have been struggling to get jobs, whilst others from their eras are getting top jobs.

Lampard and Gerrard stepped away from punditry to land their first roles high up the football ladder whilst Campbell had to drop down to the bottom of League Two to Macclesfield, somehow managing to keep them in the Football League.

"100 per cent it would be easier [for Lampard and Gerrard]. They are going to get those jobs. I can only point towards skin colours.

"I can point towards medals. Sol [Campbell] has got more than Stevie [actually 6-8 behind but has two titles].

"Ashley Cole's got more than any of them. England's best player for that era. Ash is being given a chance to get on that ladder with Chelsea under-15s."

Lampard had no coaching experience before taking the reigns at Derby but took the Championship to the play-off final, where they lost to Aston Villa at Wembley.

His season in the second tier earned him the job at Chelsea, that most assumed he was destined for, with Maurizio Sarri going back to Italy to manage Juventus, after just one year in the Premier League.

Gerrard had some coaching experience at Liverpool, managing the under 18 and 19s teams during his spell back at Anfield, being appointed as Rangers boss before last season.

Heskey and others aren't saying those in jobs get them because they're white but more that they themselves struggle because they are black.

There's currently only four BAME managers working in English football in Nuno Espirito Santo at Wolves, Sabri Lamouchi at Nottingham Forest, Darren Moore at Doncaster and Keith Curle at Northampton.