Gerrard to 'take charge of his own team'

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has been impressed by former captain Steven Gerrard's first steps into coaching and the 36-year-old is set to be rewarded by taking charge of a team of his own next season.

The ex-England midfielder joined the club's academy in February with a roving brief involving a number of youth teams.

However, Gerrard has closely aligned himself with the under-18s side and is set to take over a more permanent role with them in the summer as part of a reshuffle promoted by under-21 coach Michael Beale's move to Sao Paulo earlier this year.

"There is not a real announcement in this moment, but what I can probably say is 'yes'," said Klopp when asked whether Gerrard was to become coach of a youth team.

"He is doing a real job at the academy at the moment with his presence and everything, being around and giving advice and leading little or bigger sessions and all that stuff.

"They all enjoy it a lot. He especially enjoys it a lot.

"Yes, he will be the coach of a youth team next season, I'm pretty sure.

"But we will tell you exactly which team when we want to tell you."