Jay Spearing has revealed that Steven Gerrard sent him a “good luck” message before he returned to Liverpool to take over as manager earlier this summer.
The 33-year-old is back at the Reds working as a coach for the Under-18s and also appears for Barry Lewtas’s Under-21 team when needed.
The 2012 League Cup winner has turned down a one-year contract extension offer from Tranmere Rovers to take on the new role and has admitted he draws inspiration from the former Liverpool captain and current Aston Villa boss.
“If I take a similar path to him, I would be very lucky,” Spearing told the Liverpool Echo.
He added, “I will strive and work hard to get it. Right now, all I can do is focus on the journey and the opportunity that has been given to me. I will learn and see what comes. There is a lot of hard work ahead, but the ultimate goal is to get out into the big world of professional gaming.
READ MORE: ‘I’ll make sure to do that’: Jay Spearing on his goals for the future as he continues to enjoy his new role at Liverpool
“Steven was one of the people who spread the message to say ‘Good luck and learn’ after I was appointed. He told me the same thing I already told him about Alex being an amazing person to work for and he is well educated, he is well regarded and there is no better person to learn from.
“The Academy is a great place to learn but also to make mistakes behind the scenes, without the cameras and pundits, where I won’t be crucified or fired after five games. I hope to follow in the footsteps of the staff that have come before because you have people like Steve Cooper at Nottingham Forest and Neil Critchley at Aston Villa who have come and made a name for themselves.”
Our former No. 8’s managerial career can be considered a huge success so far after guiding the Ibrox side to their first league title in 10 years before returning to England to take charge of Villa.
The scouser got his start at Villa Park when he replaced Dean Smith midway through last season, but has come under some criticism of late with the Birmingham-based side experiencing a slow start to the campaign.
However, they recorded a 1-1 draw against Manchester City last time out, and Gerrard will now be keen to pick up as many points as possible before the Qatar World Cup interrupts domestic matches in November and December.
Before traveling to Scotland to take charge of Glasgow Rangers, Gerrard spent time in charge of Liverpool’s Under-18s.
Therefore, you can provide Spearing with tips and advice on how to perform and be successful when it comes to coaching youngsters.
However, Spearing will also be eager to develop his own techniques and become a unique trainer in his own right.
It’s great to see the AXA Training Center becoming one of the most recognized places for coaches to develop and continue their careers in the sport, even after they’ve hung up their boots.
Spearing will be aware that there is no need to rush and has already expressed pride in working for the club once again, but it will be interesting to see if we ever see him manage at the highest level.
EOTK Insider Opinion: 70% of Liverpool fans suspect he’s had a falling out with Liverpool, but… What’s going on with Naby Keita?
