Steven Gerrard is looking forward to his first proper Christmas in 18 years. He is back home in Liverpool during the MLS close season and plans to enjoy the festive period with his family.

“I am going to have a right go,” he smiles. “Loads of food, a bit of wine — I am really going to enjoy myself. It is the first Christmas I have had off since I was an apprentice so I am looking forward to being at home with my family and enjoying the nice bits that I have not been allowed to enjoy over the years.”

Gerrard says he “loved” the first four months of his new adventure with LA Galaxy in America but there is little hiding his delight at being back on Merseyside. The 35-year-old has travelled down to London to appear on the Clare Balding Show tonight and, as he prepares for the studio chat show on BT Sport, talk quickly turns to Liverpool.

It is the obvious topic of conversation for a player who spent a glorious 17-year career at Anfield.

Gerrard is back training with the club to maintain his fitness before he returns to Los Angeles next month and has seen the impact of Jurgen Klopp at close quarters. So what does he make of the man who has made such an impression in England?

“My impressions from the outside were that I loved him,” says Gerrard. “I loved how charismatic he was on camera, I loved his tactics and I always appreciated Borussia Dortmund, who I watched quite closely in the Champions League. So I was huge fan anyway. But now that I have met him and worked with him, it has gone up a notch.”

Gerrard recalls a meeting he had with Klopp in his office last month.

“I had coffee with him and when I came out of the room I just felt happy,” he says. “I felt taller. And I am not one of the players so I can only imagine what he has done to those players in the dressing room.

“The atmosphere at the club is brilliant. The players are buzzing around the training ground and there are smiles all over the place. I think he has lifted the whole place. He wants to be around players who are enjoying it. He does not want players to be tense, worried or concerned. He wants to take all that pressure on his shoulders.

“I love the way he handles players individually, I love the way he handles his team and I am all over his tactics. I am watching him on the outside but I also get to work with him so it is a brilliant experience for me — as a Liverpool supporter, an ex-player, a pundit and also for my future as well. I am loving it.”

Gerrard has ruled out returning on loan in January but he does admit a part of him wishes he was still at Liverpool playing under Klopp. “Of course,” he says. “If I was a player at Liverpool — either a young player or one at my peak — and Jurgen Klopp walked through the door I would be licking my lips.

“The players should be excited. I think to myself, imagine being 25 or 26 and how happy and excited I would be to be working with him. So the players should be sitting themselves down and realising what an opportunity they have to achieve success in the next two, three, four or however many years he is here. If the players are not feeling it then there is something wrong.”

It is little surprise that Gerrard has lost none of his passion towards Liverpool but he admits he found the transition from player to supporter a tricky one.

“I will be honest enough to admit that it killed me when I watched Liverpool for the first time as a fan,” says the midfielder. “I hated it at first. I had a weird feeling in my stomach. But now I am used to it and I am happy.”

Liverpool, who face Watford at Vicarage Road on Sunday, are ninth in the table but they sit just five points off the top four and a further six behind leaders Leicester. Klopp has dismissed title talk as “crazy”. Gerrard does not want to talk about Liverpool as serious challengers either but he does see an opportunity for them this season.

“Obviously we all want to reach for the stars but crazy expectations are not going to help anyone,” he says. “I do not think it [talk of a title] is fair on the manager or the players. Where they are at the moment they just need to take every game as it comes and have the top four as the main target.

“My impressions from the outside were that I loved Klopp. I loved how charismatic he was on camera, I loved his tactics and I always appreciated Borussia Dortmund, who I watched quite closely in the Champions League. So I was huge fan anyway. But now that I have met him and worked with him, it has gone up a notch.” Steven Gerrard

“Towards the end of the time with Brendan [Rodgers], you could see there was a lot of frustration in the crowd and I think that was transmitting to the pitch. The players were very tense and nervous and I certainly felt that towards the end of last season. That is normal when results are not going well.

“What Jurgen has done is what Brendan did when he first came in which was to try and release that pressure and expectation away from the players and let them play. He is trying to crack the shell to let them come out and express themselves.

“If someone offered me a trophy and the top four now, of course I would take that. But I also think there is an opportunity to get involved in the title race because no one is running away with it this season. Usually at this time of year you would have a Chelsea or a Manchester City looking unbeatable.

“There is not one team that I think will not lose two games before the end of the season. Not just for Liverpool, but for Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham, it is the first season for a few years when Chelsea and City have not looked like the favourites. So there is opportunity to get involved in the title race.”

Steven Gerrard's greatest Liverpool moments 7 show all Steven Gerrard's greatest Liverpool moments 1/7 Liverpool 2 Manchester United 0, Premier League 2001 As he has done many times since, Steven Gerrard collected a knockdown in midfield, advanced a few yards before firing a screamer past Fabian Barthez as Liverpool completed their first league double over United for 22 years. GETTY 2/7 Liverpool 5 Alaves 4, UEFA Cup final 2001 Steven Gerrard galloped down the inside-right and the England man fired low to double Liverpool's lead inside 20 minutes. The dramatic cup final - which ended with golden goal victory in the 117th minute - capped a famous treble for the Reds as they added to FA Cup and League Cup success in Dortmund. GETTY 3/7 Liverpool 2 Manchester United 0, League Cup final 2003 Liverpool ended a difficult season on a high note and it was Steven Gerrard who propelled them towards League Cup final victory over bitter rivals Manchester United. Gerrard's 25-yard strike looped up off David Beckham and past Fabian Barthez to set Liverpool on their way to a first League Cup win over United since 1985 GETTY 4/7 Steven Gerrard enjoys best goals haul for Liverpool (08-09) Steven Gerrard managed a personal-best goals tally in a season for the Reds of 24, as the club finished runners-up in the Premier League behind Manchester United. Gerrard came out on top of Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney in the poll of journalists to claim the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year award. GETTY 5/7 Liverpool 4 Real Madrid 0, 2009 The captain scored a double as Liverpool outclassed Real Madrid to march into the 2009 Champions League quarter-finals. Gerrard was marking his 100th appearance in Europe and scored each side of the break - first from the spot and then a cool half-volley into the top corner - as the Reds put the tie well beyond the nine-time European Cup winners. GETTY 6/7 Liverpool 3 Napoli 1, 2010 Steven Gerrard came off the bench at half-time to inspire Liverpool to victory as they took charge of Europa League Group K. Trailing at the interval, Roy Hodgson called on Gerrard and the England captain lifted his team-mates before netting three goals in the final 15 minutes. GETTY 7/7 Liverpool 3 Everton 0, 2012 Steven Gerrard hit the first hat-trick in a Merseyside derby since 1982 as Everton missed the chance to leapfrog their neighbours in the Premier League table in March 2012. The captain scored a curling lob in the first half before firing in a second and capitalising on a last-minute Victor Anichebe slip to seal his treble. GETTY 1/7 Liverpool 2 Manchester United 0, Premier League 2001 As he has done many times since, Steven Gerrard collected a knockdown in midfield, advanced a few yards before firing a screamer past Fabian Barthez as Liverpool completed their first league double over United for 22 years. GETTY 2/7 Liverpool 5 Alaves 4, UEFA Cup final 2001 Steven Gerrard galloped down the inside-right and the England man fired low to double Liverpool's lead inside 20 minutes. The dramatic cup final - which ended with golden goal victory in the 117th minute - capped a famous treble for the Reds as they added to FA Cup and League Cup success in Dortmund. GETTY 3/7 Liverpool 2 Manchester United 0, League Cup final 2003 Liverpool ended a difficult season on a high note and it was Steven Gerrard who propelled them towards League Cup final victory over bitter rivals Manchester United. Gerrard's 25-yard strike looped up off David Beckham and past Fabian Barthez to set Liverpool on their way to a first League Cup win over United since 1985 GETTY 4/7 Steven Gerrard enjoys best goals haul for Liverpool (08-09) Steven Gerrard managed a personal-best goals tally in a season for the Reds of 24, as the club finished runners-up in the Premier League behind Manchester United. Gerrard came out on top of Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney in the poll of journalists to claim the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year award. GETTY 5/7 Liverpool 4 Real Madrid 0, 2009 The captain scored a double as Liverpool outclassed Real Madrid to march into the 2009 Champions League quarter-finals. Gerrard was marking his 100th appearance in Europe and scored each side of the break - first from the spot and then a cool half-volley into the top corner - as the Reds put the tie well beyond the nine-time European Cup winners. GETTY 6/7 Liverpool 3 Napoli 1, 2010 Steven Gerrard came off the bench at half-time to inspire Liverpool to victory as they took charge of Europa League Group K. Trailing at the interval, Roy Hodgson called on Gerrard and the England captain lifted his team-mates before netting three goals in the final 15 minutes. GETTY 7/7 Liverpool 3 Everton 0, 2012 Steven Gerrard hit the first hat-trick in a Merseyside derby since 1982 as Everton missed the chance to leapfrog their neighbours in the Premier League table in March 2012. The captain scored a curling lob in the first half before firing in a second and capitalising on a last-minute Victor Anichebe slip to seal his treble. GETTY

Gerrard, like the rest of us, will be watching as an intrigued onlooker between now and May.

He is in England until January before he heads back to Los Angeles and is due to start pre-season training on January 15.

“The coverage of the Premier League out in America is actually better than in the UK,” he says. “Over there you have the choice of watching whatever game you want. The only disappointing thing is that I have got to get up at six or seven in the morning to watch the games. But of course I will do it. As a fan, I hope Liverpool push on and go really close this season.”

Steven Gerrard was speaking ahead of his appearance on the new series of The Clare Balding Show which this week also features Jose Mourinho, Lucy Bronze and Katie Chapman. Watch the show on BT Sport 1 from 8pm tonight or on BBC Two at 10pm tomorrow