Burnley eyeing up ex-Rangers and Aston Villa manager as Scott Parker decision looms | OneFootball

Burnley are eyeing up a move for Steven Gerrard should Scott Parker depart Turf Moor.

Burnley will be looking to make an instant return to the Premier League next season, having suffered relegation in their first season back in the top flight.

The Clarets' chances of surviving in the Premier League looked less and less likely as time went on, until their official relegation back to the Championship was confirmed last week.

Scott Parker's side have accumulated just 20 points in 34 games, with four wins and eight draws being overshadowed by 22 defeats. They can still be caught by bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers, who sit just three points behind them after a miserable campaign.

Having previously been relegated and bounced straight back up, Burnley will be looking to continue that trend next season, but could face a tough battle for promotion with the likes of Wolves, and maybe even Tottenham Hotspur.

However, it remains unclear who will be in the dugout at Turf Moor next season leading the promotion charge. With Parker reportedly nearing the exit door, the Lancashire side could be lining up a replacement in the not too distant future.

Steven Gerrard on Burnley's radar as Scott Parker replacement

Parker was the man to previously lead Burnley straight back into the Premier League with an outstanding defensive record to boot, but it hasn't quite translated into success in the top flight for the former Fulham midfielder.

Now, the Clarets could look to wipe the slate clean ahead of their return to the Championship, as Parker confirmed he would sit down with the owners to discuss his future at Turf Moor following the club's relegation.

If Alan Pace does decide to start afresh, another former England midfielder could be his choice to replace Parker, according to reports from journalist Alan Nixon via his Patreon page.

That man, Nixon revealed, is Steven Gerrard. The Liverpool legend has been out of work since leaving Saudi club Al-Ettifaq in January 2025, turning down an opportunity to return to Rangers in October of the same year.

However, the former Aston Villa chief is reportedly keen to get back into the dugout, and would jump at the opportunity to manage Burnley, as he currently resides in the north-west of England.

Nixon also stated that Gerrard fits the mould that Clarets owner Pace likes to appoint — a strong figurehead with previous experience of playing at the highest level of the game.

Steven Gerrard could emulate Frank Lampard's resurgence at Burnley

Following an underwhelming stint as Aston Villa boss, it seems Gerrard's managerial career has somewhat stalled in recent years, having started out as a huge success story with Rangers.

A similar sort of thing happened to his former England colleague Frank Lampard before he was appointed by Coventry City. Of course, we all know how that went, with the Sky Blues replacing Burnley in the top flight next term.

With that in mind, a move to the Championship with a promotion-hunting side may be just the tonic that Gerrard needs to revive his stalled managerial career, emulating the success that Lampard has enjoyed at Coventry, following a rough few years before that.

All-in-all, it would be a sensible appointment for Burnley. Gerrard is a proven winner from his time at Rangers, and the Clarets will surely be hopeful of reaping similar rewards to what Coventry did by appointing a manager who is in a similar position to what Lampard was.