Exclusive: Sky pundit raises Norwich City 'problem' as Steven Gerrard and Brendan Rodgers named in debate | OneFootball

Lee Hendrie has weighed in on Norwich City's managerial situation

Lee Hendrie has highlighted his preferred candidate to take over the Norwich City job.

The Canaries are on the search for a new manager after deciding to part ways with Liam Manning, less than five months after he was brought to the club from Bristol City.

Securing the 40-year-old’s services appeared to be a real coup for Norwich, after he had just taken the Robins to their first Championship play-off campaign in 17 years.

Achieving that feat with the Norfolk outfit was his goal, but Manning failed to ever really get going as Norwich boss.

In a run that spanned 11 matches and stretched back to late August, the Canaries lost on eight occasions and only managed three draws, with a defeat having once led against Leicester City the final straw.

Norwich are now back on the hunt for a new manager, who will end up being the fourth person to be in charge of the Carrow Road outfit in 2025, alongside Manning, Johannes Hoff Thorup and Jack Wilshere.

Lee Hendrie names who he thinks Norwich City should appoint as their next manager

Several names have already been linked to the vacant position at Carrow Road, with journalist Rob Butler revealing via X that the likes of Russell Martin, Gary O'Neil and Will Still were all being considered.

Norwich currently sit 23rd in the Championship having scored just nine points in their first 15 matches. This amplifies the importance of their next appointment, as the Canaries can’t afford their four-point gap to safety to grow any larger.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World with this in mind, Sky Sports pundit and former Aston Villa midfielder, Lee Hendrie, has highlighted who he believes should take over at Carrow Road.

“Whoever comes in has to really turn a corner at Norwich,” stated Hendrie. “It's highly unlikely that they are going to get into the play-offs or even a promotion race.

“It's going to be about consolidating the season really, so where do they go with that? I'd love to see Steven Gerrard back in England.

“I think Gary O'Neill might be off their radar. Brendan Rodgers is another one who will probably be off their radar. There's no one that really jumps out for the Norwich job to be quite honest.

“That's the problem and where do they go with it? They have to find that right fit and it's going to be someone who's going to have to just really consolidate where and what they're doing this season.

“It's a tough one to call to be quite honest.”

Steven Gerrard has one caveat Norwich City will be wary of

On the surface, appointing Steven Gerrard would make a lot of sense for Norwich City.

He has previously coached at a Premier League and Champions League level, which gives him impressive credentials to lead forward Norwich City in the Championship relegation zone.

However, the former Liverpool midfielder has never managed in the second-tier, which could be of some concern to the Canaries.

In Norwich’s current situation, they need someone who has experience of getting teams out of tricky situations in the Championship. Gerrard hasn’t even coached in the division before, which may end up being a reason why Norwich opts for someone like Martin instead.

Gerrard could end up becoming a successful manager in the Championship one day, much like his fellow England teammate Frank Lampard has done. However, a team in Norwich’s position can’t afford to take risks, and Gerrard does slightly represent that.