Steven Gerrard 'very keen' on Leeds United job as search for Jesse Marsch replacement continues

Steven Gerrard is thought to be eyeing up a return to management, with Leeds United his preferred destination.

For the second season in a row Leeds find themselves in a relegation battle, and earlier this week they took the decision to sack manager Jesse Marsch.

The American coach replaced Marcelo Bielsa in February last year, but despite managing to guide The Whites to safety things have not gone so well this season.

Marsch's side collected just 19 points from their opening 21 matches, a tally that has them perched just one point above the relegation zone.

For weeks Leeds had been calling for Marsch to be dismissed, while the fact that none of the Leeds players took to social media to thank the coach for his work tells its own story.

Michael Skubala has interim charge of the side, and Leeds put in a much-improved performance in a 2-2 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

Skubala will be in the dugout when Leeds take on the same opponents at Elland Road on Sunday, but the hunt for a permanent boss goes on.

Now it appears that former Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard is interested in taking the job, four months after leaving the Midlands side.

Image: Alamy

According to Football Insider Gerrard is 'very keen' on the Leeds job, but he'll certainly have his work cut out should he make the move to Yorkshire.

Leeds have already approached a number of candidates but have so far failed to bring in a replacement for Marsch. Their first-choice replacement Carlos Corberan decided to sign a new deal with West Brom, while Real Vallecano boss Andoni Iraola was reportedly denied permission to speak to Leeds.

Gerrard enjoyed a successful three-year stint in charge of Scottish giants Rangers, but he struggled to make things work after he replaced Dean Smith as Villa boss.

Image: Alamy

The former Liverpool captain guided Villa to a 14th place finish in 2021/22, but was dismissed after his side began the current season with two wins from 12 matches.

Topics: Steven Gerrard, Leeds United, Premier League, Aston Villa

Alex Brotherton

Alex Brotherton is a Sports Trends Writer at SPORTbible. He has previously worked with publications including the Manchester Evening News, GOAL and BBC Sport. He is a football fanatic, but also dabbles in tennis and American football. He enjoys running, cooking and watching non-league football.

@alex_brotherton