Graham Hunter joined this morning's OTB AM to talk football - both in Celtic and Spain - and made the confident prediction that Steven Gerrard will be the next Liverpool manager.
The Liverpool legend is almost certain to guide Rangers to their first Scottish Premiership title since 2011 later this season, ending Celtic's 10-in-a-row bid.
Gerrard has been in charge at Ibrox since the summer of 2018, making great progress in what is his first job in senior management.
Hunter spoke about the progress made by Gerrard over the course of the last three seasons, and believes he will return to Anfield when Jurgen Klopp eventually departs the club.
Hunter says his prediction is that Klopp will move onto pastures new when his current deal expires in 2024.
"From a Liverpool perspective; 1. I don't really expect Klopp top move on before the end of his contract, at which point I do expect him to move on. 2. I think that thus-far, if you said how's the trajectory, he's (Steven Gerrard) on course to be the next Liverpool manager.
"I can see similarities with Klopp and what's more, Steven Gerrard is not one of these people who says, 'I'm famous and successful, that'll do'. He works hard on his coaching skills, he works hard on the process of managing.
"It's a long time before we have to use that litmus test against him at Liverpool. Anybody who thinks he strolled this because Celtic are having a meltdown haven't been looking at the last few years," Hunter said.
Hunter admits when the time comes there will be many who dismiss Gerrard's credentials on account of the reputation of Scottish football, but he says anyone that does will not have done their homework.
"I feel reasonably authoritative about saying that the first thing everyone will cast at a successful manager who has come north from England or wants to go down and coach in England will be the same mud that they threw at Van Dijk; it's only Scotland.
"First of all it hasn't been easy for Gerrard, the accusation is that if you go to Scotland and do well it's like shooting fish in a barrel. Rangers were in a perilous state when Gerrard took over, the squad were full of footballers who were no way good enough to compete with Celtic, and the chasing pack - be it Hibs and Hearts, trophy-winners outside the Old Firm, Aberdeen knocking them over.
"The club has many really good staff and Steven Gerrard will be the first to say that, but he has - a little like Klopp at Liverpool - given direction, personality, identity to the work. He sets standards.
"He evidently has that. He said he's had to work on it, leadership, teaching, communication, he said that he's naturally shy, that although he's aggressive and competitive in the football atmosphere, he's had to develop it," Hunter added.
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