Managing Everton was never a possibility

Managing Everton was never a possibility - Gerrard

Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has said he was shocked his name was linked to the Everton job as it was never a possibility for him. (Photo credit: ESPN)

Steven Gerrard has said it was never a chance of him leaving his job at Rangers to take over at Everton following Carlo Ancelotti’s exit to Real Madrid but also said he wasn’t particularly surprised that his former coach Rafael Benitez took the job.

Steven Gerrard went unbeaten as a manager at Rangers and was linked to the Everton job before the Spaniard left his role in China for the job at Goodison Park; with the Liverpool history, not many expected Gerrard or Benitez to consider the job.

Ancelotti's surprise exit from Everton at the end of last season after just 18 months in charge initially prompted speculation linking Gerrard with a return to his home city as the Italian's successor after helping Rangers to their first league title in 10 years.

But, while the 41-year-old said that managing Everton was, and will always be, a non-starter, he told ESPN in an exclusive interview that he understands Benitez's decision to manage the club, despite his six-year spell in charge of Liverpool between 2004-2010.

"Rafa wasn't born in the city, he's not a red through-and-through and he never played against Everton for 20 years and competed against them, so I think it's a very different situation [to mine]," Gerrard said.

"Rafa is his own man and will make his own professional decisions, so there's no surprise that he wanted to get back in the Premier League at a big club and have the opportunity to compete against all the top teams in the league, so I wasn't very shocked and surprised at all in all honesty.

"I was very shocked and surprised that my name was linked to the job. I don't know where it came from, whether it was paper talk or if there was any truth in it, I'm not sure.

"[Managing Everton] is never a possibility as far as I'm concerned."