JOHN ALDRIDGE’S phone had not stopped ringing all morning and the calls overwhelmingly came from Scotland and Ireland, writes Neil Cameron.

“I’ve had all my Celtic supporting mates on today asking me about just one thing,” the Liverpool scoring legend revealed.

And that one thing, well one person in fact, was Steven Gerrard.

Read more: Rangers to finalise managerial move next week after holding talks with Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard

Aldridge knows Gerrard well. They are friends which should not come as a huge surprise given how much the pair have in common.

Both are Scousers to their core who are loved by The Kop, where they themselves once stood, and are lifelong Reds.

Indeed, Aldridge believes Gerrard to be the greatest ever Liverpool players ahead of even Kenny Dalglish, which isn’t said often on Merseyside.

That doesn’t mean to say the former goal-scorer knows what is going through the ex-captain’s mind right now regarding whether the next Rangers manager is going to be Liverpool’s current youth coach.

Or if he did, he wasn’t for telling a nosey journalist.

What Aldridge does know is that if Rangers can somehow persuade Gerrard to come north of the border then, while it’s a risk for both parties, the Ibrox club will be getting a proper professional who lives and breathes football.

Read more: Derek Johnstone: If Steven Gerrard moves to Rangers he must find his own Walter Smith​

“I would love to see Stevie in the Liverpool dugout one day,” said Aldridge. “I honestly couldn’t tell you whether he fancies Rangers or not, that has come out of the blue, but what I do know is what football means to the man.

“Stevie is incredibly focussed. I think he has always wanted to be a manager at some time, and maybe Rangers could be the ideal move for him at this moment.

“He’s not been with the academy for a long time; however, he has already made a huge impact on the players there and it’s been great to see a few of them getting their chance in the first team.

“I can’t over emphasise how highly he is thought of at the club and I don’t mean as a player, I mean as a coach.

“This is a very intelligent man we are talking about. Okay, he’s just getting onto coaching and hasn’t been a manager yet, but I would back him to a success in anything he does.”

Read more: Derek Johnstone: I will never forget gifting Celtic a title with Rangers

Aldridge is a bit of a Celtic fan on the quiet, but believes his old pal will enjoy himself at the other Glasgow club.

“Rangers are huge,” said the former Republic of Ireland player. “I hear all the time folk in London talk down both Rangers and Celtic, which is a lot of nonsense. They are big clubs in Liverpool, let me tell you that.

“It would be a big job for Stevie, of course, but I am sure he could handle it. He is such a dedicated guy, but then you could see that by the way he played football.”

Charlie Adam, a former Rangers player, was a team-mate of Gerrard’s at Anfield where the two of them won the League Cup in 2012.

And the Scot believes this would be a good appointment. He said: I think it would be a good appointment. The people he has around him are very good coaches and been in the game a long time. On the fitness side he has a top fitness guy who will oversee everything.”

Read more: Rangers to finalise managerial move next week after holding talks with Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard

And Roy Hodgson, who made Gerrard his England captain, gave a warm vote of confidence.

“Steven has all the qualities a club would be looking for in a manager. Honesty, dedication, experience, enthusiasm, intelligence, and a deep knowledge of the game.

“The one thing that he lacks is experience, but then, unfortunately, everyone when they take on their first job, you can’t get your first job as an experienced manager.

“You can only get your first job because someone has seen in you the qualities they are looking for as a new manager or head coach.

“I would have no doubts about Steven in that [Rangers] role but I don’t know anything about that speculation and I have not spoken to him about that, so I don’t know how far down the line that story goes.

“But in terms of his credentials, I couldn’t speak highly enough of him.”