Djibril Cisse makes Steven Gerrard plea to Burnley after Nicky Hayen sacking

Former Liverpool, Sunderland and QPR striker Djibril Cisse has told Burnley to make Steven Gerrard their next manager.

Nicky Hayen had been under pressure at Turf Moor following a poor start to the season and he was sacked by the Clarets following their 4-1 loss to Lincoln City at the weekend.

Burnley have since since appointed Diego Lopez as chief football officer, with the Spaniard now overseeing the search for Hayen’s replacement.

Cisse believes Gerrard, his former Liverpool captain, would be the right man for the job and argues that his return to management would be good for both Burnley and football as a whole.

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Football knowledge

“Steven Gerrard back in a job? I’d love that, for two reasons,” Cisse told Mr Gamble.

“He’s a friend, someone I like and respect a lot, and he loves football. He needs to be on the pitch, in contact with players.

“I hope he finds a project that suits him because he misses it. As a player he already had a coach’s mind.

“He had a successful spell in Scotland, then went to the Middle East.

“He has a lot of football knowledge and experience to pass on to young players.

“We need people like him on the bench, whether in the Premier League, in France or anywhere else, former players who know the game and can share their knowledge with the young ones.”

Top coach

Cisse also praised Wales manager Craig Bellamy, who came close to leaving his role to take over at Burnley in the summer.

“I’m doing my coaching badges in Wales, so I’ve seen Craig Bellamy work,” he added.

“He’s a top coach with his own ideas and a way of working I really like.

“Yes, in the future he’ll become a top coach. He’s already a very good one.

“He’ll learn from experience and he’ll definitely end up at a big club, and why not Liverpool, a club he knows, where he scored goals and was decisive.

“In the future, he’ll be one of the coaches people count on.”

READ MORE: Lincoln City 4-1 Burnley: Clarets axe Nicky Hayen after Imps fiasco