Steven Gerrard eyeing ambitious Man Utd raid if he lands Burnley manager vacancy | OneFootball

The former Liverpool star could be returning to management in the Championship next season, and he's been linked with an experienced coach.

Former Liverpool star Steven Gerrard has been linked with a possible return to management since the end of last season, and we're starting to get an idea of what his coaching team might look like should he arrive at Burnley amid heavy links.

We're now well into the EFL's summer break, but still the matter of who the Clarets manager will be in 2026-27 remains unanswered. The Lancashire outfit were relegated from the Premier League in 19th place at the end of last season, and Scott Parker paid for this underachievement with his job with four games left to play.

Mike Jackson took over for those last four games, but that was only ever going to be an interim position, and even though it's now been weeks since the end of the season, no final decision has been reached over who Parker's permanent successor will be.

One name, however, has been linked with the vacant position at Turf Moor more than any other since the end of 2025-26, and fresh reporting is now confirming that the manager concerned is looking for an assistant.

Steven Gerrard wants Man United coach Steve Holland as his right-hand man for next job

The name that has been most closely associated with the vacant managerial position at Turf Moor since the end of 2025-26 has been that of the former Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, and reporting has now confirmed what Gerrard's backroom staff might look like in the event that he's appointed at Burnley.

Reporting to his Patreon account on Sunday morning, journalist Alan Nixon has confirmed that Gerrard is plotting an "ambitious move" for the Manchester United coach Steve Holland, who has been working at Old Trafford alongside Michael Carrick for the last few months.

Nixon confirms that Gerrard remains "in the frame to go to Burnley" and that he is already on the lookout for an assistant, in the event that he is appointed at Turf Moor.

He formerly worked with Mick Beale at Rangers, but Nixon confirms that he is "on the look out for a new sidekick" for this role, with Beale now in charge of Belgian side Zulte Waregem.

Steve Holland plans may be too ambitious for Steven Gerrard and Burnley

Appointing Steve Holland as assistant would certainly be a demonstration of ambition from Burnley, as they plot a return to the Premier League following relegation.

Holland was appointed as an assistant to Michael Carrick at Manchester United in January, and United's considerable improvement over the second half of the 2025-26 season and the prospect of staying at Old Trafford to build on that success - not least through a return to the Champions League - may make it difficult to prise him away from his current club.

But none of this is to say that Burnley don't have much to recommend them. Relegation from the Premier League may have been a chastening experience for all at Turf Moor, but Premier League parachute payments give them a competitive advantage over most of their Championship rivals when it comes to plotting a return, while winning £35 million in compensation in court from Everton over PSR breaches could also strengthen their hand in the Championship next season.

Holland's experience isn't limited to Old Trafford, either. He was first appointed as the reserve team manager at Chelsea in 2009, but was promoted to be the assistant to Andres Villa Boas two years later and stayed as assistant to various coaches until 2017. He's also worked within the England set-up, most notably as assistant to Gareth Southgate, and he was awarded an OBE for services to football in 2022.

Michael Carrick's success over his first six months as the Manchester United manager may make it a challenge to lure Holland away from Old Trafford.

United can offer Champions League football and the possibility of a push for the Premier League title in 2026-27. But Burnley are ambitious to return to the Premier League themselves, and if he can be persuaded to swap Old Trafford for Turf Moor, it would be quite a coup for the Lancashire club.