Trevor Steven believes Steven Gerrard is "nailed on" as the man to replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, but hopes he remains at Rangers for at least two more years.

Gerrard played over 700 times for Liverpool, where he won the Champions League and two FA Cups across 17 years with the first-team.

The former England midfielder returned to Anfield as a youth coach in 2017 before taking his first managerial role with Rangers in June 2018.

After two seasons at Ibrox without a trophy, Gerrard finally won the Scottish Premier League last season, and most importantly, thwarted Celtic's bid for a tenth straight league crown.

Gerrard has been linked with a return to Anfield when Klopp's contract expires in 2024, and Saudi-backed Newcastle United have reportedly shown an interest in the 41-year-old since Steve Bruce's recent dismissal.

But Steven, who won seven league titles in seven years with Rangers, hopes Gerrard remains in Glasgow to see out his project with the Teddy Bears.

"Liverpool is absolutely nailed on [for Gerrard]," Steven told TribalFootball.com. "He's obviously still doing it outside of the spotlight of the English Premier League, but he's also under a different kind of spotlight with Rangers, and he has succeeded in that. Now he has to stay there.

"That is the real test of success, getting there is one thing but staying there is often harder, and what he'll be doing at Rangers is focusing on the next training session, the next game and just keep on going.

"He is inevitably going to go to Liverpool. I fully expect him to take over from Klopp when the time is right, but I'd like to see him stay north of the border for another two or three seasons to see where he can take the Rangers project."

Steven believes this term is a season of "consolidation" for Gerrard and Rangers as they look to claim successive league titles.

Celtic are undergoing a transition with new manager Ange Postecoglou and currently sit four points off the Gers, who are top of the table.

With the SPL season in full swing, Steven has talked up how the Govan club has transformed both on-and-off the field with Gerrard at the helm.

"I think they need a year of consolidation," Steven continued. "Because last season was just incredible, going unbeaten, going as far as they did in the Europa League, really smashing it in the SPL and leaving Celtic well in their wake.

"Celtic have a new manager and he has brought a different project to the club, but they are still well behind where Rangers have got themselves too. For Rangers, this season is about consistency and keeping their head, and keeping their European run alive if they can.

"It's not going to be easy but if you would ask any Rangers fan what they want is to get another SPL trophy and that will start to establish Rangers again, another building block for them, because off the field their marketing over the past two years, with Steven Gerrard involved, has gone ballistic, their global presence, and Steven Gerrard has a lot to do with that.

"The marketing team is obviously doing a lot of work, which Rangers have struggled with for years to maximise, but now they are going well beyond that, so Rangers is going global, they've got a massive support in all parts of the world and to support that they need results on the field, recruitment has been excellent."

Steven played a significant role in one of Rangers' most successful periods, which began when another Liverpool great, Graeme Souness, took the reins in 1986.

And Steven believes Gerrard has an ability to motivate players in the same vein as Souness, who coincidentally returned to Liverpool after five years with Rangers.

"All [Gerrard] wants is to do something similar to what Graeme Souness did for us," said Steven. "To get his players in a position where they are raring to go when the whistle goes.

"Then he expects a level of performance, no player is going to be at their best all the time, but the more you can get near to it or make the bad games not so bad, then you've got a great chance to be part of a successful winning team."

Souness (L) celebrates a trophy with Rangers in 1990

Gerrard, who is under contract until 2024, has publicly reaffirmed his commitment to Rangers on a number of occasions.

But should he leave Glasgow tomorrow, Steven says the Englishman's legacy at Rangers is secure.

"He's already established a legacy," he added.

"Stopping Rangers' greatest rivals getting 10 in a row had an immeasurable impact on the blue half of Glasgow.

"He'll have a statue outside Ibrox before too long."