Middlesbrough: Ally McCoist backs Steve Gibson to appoint England legend - It could be "last chance saloon" | OneFootball

Middlesbrough have been linked with appointing Steven Gerrard as their next manager

Ally McCoist has backed Middlesbrough owner Steve Gibson to pursue a deal to make Steven Gerrard their next manager.

Boro are on the lookout for a new boss despite sitting second in the Championship standings, as current chief Rob Edwards has decided to assume the vacant position at Premier League strugglers Wolves.

This will see the Teesside outfit welcome a third manager to the Riverside Stadium in the space of five months after parting ways with Michael Carrick at the end of last season, which led to the appointment of Edwards.

Hiring the former Luton Town boss seemed to be a masterstroke by Gibson based on early season results as Boro soared into the automatic promotion places in the opening weeks, but now they are on the hunt for a new manager to try and continue the work that Edwards has done.

Multiple names have been linked with taking over the job, with journalist Graeme Bailey reporting via X that Steven Gerrard, Robbie Keane, Gary O'Neil and Raphael Wicky have all been discussed internally, and one of those names has piqued the interest of McCoist especially.

Ally McCoist backs Middlesbrough to appoint Steven Gerrard as manager

Out of all the names linked with taking over at Boro, one man in particular has stood out to McCoist.

Gerrard has been out of work since leaving Al-Ettifaq in January 2025 but has previously held roles with Rangers and Aston Villa. His most successful stint in management came with the Scottish giants, where he helped bring the Premiership back to Ibrox.

When queried on the possibility of the Liverpool legend taking over at Boro, McCoist explained that he thinks it’s a move that would benefit both parties.

“I think they might (appoint Gerrard),” stated McCoist on talkSPORT.

“Because the one thing you're going to get, you're going to get a really hungry man that really knows… I'm not saying it's a last chance saloon, but it might be the last chance saloon.

“So he has to get it right. Anybody in management is a gamble, complete gamble. But Steve Gibson, who is a very intelligent man, will weigh that up. He'd look at Steven and say, you know... Maybe, maybe."

Steven Gerrard could represent too much of a gamble for Middlesbrough at this moment in time

Understandably, Middlesbrough will have been quite shell-shocked by Edwards’ sudden decision to swap their Championship promotion charge for what seems like a massive upwards battle against relegation with Wolves in the Premier League.

However, there is no time for Boro to reflect on the situation too heavily, as they must appoint the perfect manager who can take over where Edwards left off and continue winning matches.

Arguably, a boss who has achieved promotion from the second-tier before would be ideal, which favours the likes of Russell Martin, who is currently out of work, and Steve Gibson does tend to go for out of work managers rather than poaching from another club.

Gerrard doesn’t even have experience of managing in the Championship at all, which could rule him out of the running for Boro, and given how golden an opportunity they have of fighting for promotion, they can’t afford to take any risks in their appointment.

The Liverpool icon could go on to have a successful career coaching in the second-tier, but going straight into Middlesbrough may not be the perfect environment for him to adapt to the division, especially when results are needed straight away.