Steven Gerrard Discusses Future as Player, Thoughts on English Football

Now that his playing career is winding down, Steven Gerrard is giving more consideration to life after he hangs up his boots. As such, he had some critical words for English clubs and the Football Association regarding what he believes to be an inability for retired players to take the next steps in their football careers.

"They should be getting offers they cannot refuse," Gerrard said of players from his generation in an interview with the Telegraph's Chris Bascombe. "If a player has got 100 caps and 700 club games, how can a club and the FA just let them go? They have so much to offer."

The subject is weighing on Gerrard's mind since he told Bascombe he figures he will play competitive football for another season before he retires, which is pertinent news for Los Angeles Galaxy supporters.

Regarding his attitudes toward English clubs and the FA, Gerrard likely feels particularly jaded because Liverpool failed to offer him a coaching role after their staff overhaul in the summer. The Reds legend discussed his disappointment over that decision with the Daily Mail's Lee Clayton:

"

Maybe that was selfish of me but I had gone a long time playing every single game. I might be contradicting myself here but what would have kept me at Liverpool into this season was the chance of shadowing Brendan Rodgers and his staff as well as playing. Those ideas were only mentioned to me after I had announced I was leaving. ... Liverpool replaced coaches Colin Pascoe and Mike Marsh in the summer, so they were looking for a new No 2, or No 3 or No 4. I would have been tailor-made to fill one of these roles, as well as making myself available as a squad player.

"

In November, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp mentioned that the club's "doors are always open for him" but failed to elaborate on any sort of plan to add Gerrard to the backroom staff, per the Press Association (via the Guardian):

"

We will find for sure something for Stevie when he comes back and whatever he wants to do, we will help him, but not at this moment - we are in the middle of the season.

Everything is fine, perfect between LFC and Stevie, but I don't know him until now and I'm looking forward to the moment we meet each other and we'll talk about his ideas for the future, if he has some. The door is always open. Of course.

"

It's no secret England is suffering from a lack of qualified coaches. Only four managers in the Premier League are English, with the figure climbing to 11 in the Championship. Meanwhile, Valencia's Gary Neville is the only English manager leading a club in any of the four major foreign leagues.

Liverpool are a microcosm of the problem. Once so successful at moving players into coaching and then elevating them through the ranks, the club has done little with former stars such as Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Robbie Fowler since their time at Anfield drew to a close.

Perhaps Gerrard's comments will stoke something in both Liverpool and the FA to remedy the issue.