Exclusive: Don Goodman reacts to big Steven Gerrard, Middlesbrough update | OneFootball

Don Goodman has shared his thoughts on Steven Gerrard's links to the Middlesbrough job

Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman has revealed his thoughts surrounding the links between Steven Gerrard and Middlesbrough following the departure of Rob Edwards to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Middlesbrough have defied pre-season expectations to sit in 2nd place after 15 games heading into the international break, behind only Coventry City.

A large factor in Boro's early-season success will be down to former Watford and Luton Town manager Rob Edwards.

Edwards helped Luton achieve a historic promotion to the Premier League in 2023 after defeating Mark Robins' Coventry in the play-off final, but would ultimately suffer an immediate relegation from the top flight after just one season.

Upon their return to the Championship, the Hatters struggled, and Edwards was dismissed from his duties as Luton boss in January 2025, and would join Middlesbrough in the summer following the sacking of Michael Carrick.

Edwards had got Boro ticking, so much so that he drew interest from Wolves in the Premier League, who paid the club from Teesside £3 million in compensation for his services, leaving Middlesbrough on the search for a new manager yet again.

Former Rangers, Aston Villa, and Al-Ettifaq boss Gerrard has been a name closely linked with the Boro role, with the Liverpool legend having been out of work since his departure from the Saudi Arabian club in January 2025.

Gerrard is reportedly a part of a three-man list alongside former Wolves boss Gary O'Neil and former Huddersfield Town and West Brom head coach Carlos Corberan.

The Middlesbrough job would be the former England midfielder's first role in the English second tier and first in English football since his role at Aston Villa between November 2021 and October 2022.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman has shared his thoughts on whether he could see Gerrard taking the role of Middlesbrough manager, after he seemingly hasn't been fully convinced by the proposition just yet.

Goodman said, "I think Steven Gerrard is being very careful when it comes to his next managerial role.

"He's considering everything that he needs to, hence obviously ruling himself out of the Rangers job.

"If Steven Gerrard wants to establish himself back in English football, or British football, then the next job is going to be absolutely crucial.

"What we do know about Middlesbrough is that it is a really good football club with what is widely acknowledged as one of the best owners/chairmen in the whole of football.

"So, again, I fail really to see what wouldn't attract Steven Gerrard to the Middlesbrough job; it's a case of whether Middlesbrough are attracted to Steven Gerrard.

Gerrard has emerged as a serious contender for the Middlesbrough job in the wake of Edwards' departure from the Riverside.

However, it appears as though the 45-year-old is in no immediate rush to jump back into management, instead taking his time for the right role to come about, having already rejected advances from former club Rangers in October.

In an interview with Rio Ferdinand's YouTube channel in October, Gerrard said,"I felt like I had [support] to a tee at Rangers. A lot of coach changes at Aston Villa and over in Saudi that I don't think helped me from a personal point of view.

"I'm now enjoying family time and doing a lot of things that I haven't been able to do.

"But there's a part of me that still feels that there's a bit of unfinished business in terms of wanting to go in and face another couple of exciting challenges.

"But I want a certain type of challenge. If in an ideal world they come available, I'll jump at them. If they don't, I won't go back in.

"But if the right call comes my way, the right club, the right challenge, and I've got my people set, which I will have at some point, I'll take that challenge on because it's in me."

It's unclear as yet whether Gerrard views Middlesbrough as the challenge that he has been craving, but with the international break well underway, it appears to be only a matter of time before that question is answered.